SMOKY SEAFOOD CHOWDER
800gr mixed seafood, fish fillets and hot smoked fish, cut into even sized chunks
1 carrot, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 fennel bulb, optional
1 medium potato, washed and diced
2 tbsp butter
425 gr can corn kernels
2 heaped tbsp plain flour
2 cups light chicken, fish, or vegetable stock, (optional homemade stock)
2 cups milk
¼ cup cream, optional
salt, pepper and lemon juice to season
chopped parsley, fennel fronds or dill to serve
- If making seafood stock: keep all the seafood and vegetable scraps as you prepare chowder ingredients.
- Place these scraps into a pot with half an onion.
- Cover with a couple of cups of water and bring to boil.
- Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes while continuing to make the soup. When required, strain into soup pot instead of bought stock.
- Melt butter in a large saucepan. Fry carrot, onion, celery, fennel and potato for 5 minutes until softened and just starting to caramelise.
- Add flour and cook for a minute then add corn with can juices.
- Add stock and milk then simmer gently for 5-10 minutes to thicken.
- Add fish and seafood; simmer gently for 5 minutes.
- Stir in cream, and season as desired with salt pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.
- Ladle into bowls (or bread bowls) and serve sprinkled with dill.
