Seafood Chowder

1/4 lb. (113 g) bacon or one bratwurst, diced
1/4 cup (57 g) salted butter
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 medium onion, diced
5 cups (1183 ml) Seafood Stock* (see recipe below)
6 (340 g) Yukon Gold medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced, skin on
3/4 cup (90 g) all-purpose flour
1/4 lb. (113 g) jumbo prawns, RAW, peeled and deveined
1/2 lb. (226 g) bay scallops
1/3 lb. (151 g) any firm white fish, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 cup (59 ml) dry white wine (Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio)
1/2 tsp. (3 g) thyme
12 oz. (355 ml) heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Brown bacon or sausage in heavy Dutch oven over medium high heat. Remove when fully cooked, but don’t drain the fat. Add the butter and sauté potatoes, celery and onion in fat until onion is translucent.

Lower the heat, add flour and stir thoroughly. Don’t allow flour to burn on bottom of pot. Once the flour is evenly incorporated (no lumps), add wine and cook until no more winey smell. Scrape off fond.

Add stock, stirring to blend in with flour/wine paste. Add thyme. 5-6 minutes before it’s time to serve, add the seafood. Cook until shrimp is pink and fish flakes easily. During the last minute, add cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat through. Serve with hot, crusty bread.

SEAFOOD STOCK*
Makes about 8 cups

2 lbs. (907 g) fish bones, heads and skin from non-oily fish such as cod, sole, rockfish, halibut, sea bass or monkfish
1 lb. (453 g) shells of shrimp, lobster and/or crab
1 medium onion, quartered
3 stalks celery with leaf, each cut in half
1 small fennel bulb, quartered

Bouquet Garni
6 sprigs parsley
1 bay leaf
1 large sprig fresh thyme (or 1 tsp dried thyme)
6-12 whole black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly crunched
1-1/2 cups (355 ml) dry white wine
7 cups water

Remove scales from any fish skins. Remove any gills. Ringse heads, bones and skin.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil. Skim the surface occasionally to remove fat and froth.

Reduce heat and simmer gently uncovered for 30 minutes for light fish/seafood stock (for use in risottos)

Cook uncovered for 60 minutes for soup stock. Strain into a large bowl.

If need be, store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to three days or in the freezer for up to three months.

Adapted from a recipe by Joe Seals