Seafood Chowder

Melanie Roach-walsh

Ingredients:

1 medium yellow onion, chopped small

2 celery stalks, chopped small

1 tsp dried thyme

4 tbsp butter

Salt and pepper

4 tbsp flour

1/2 cup white wine

4 cups milk

1 cup cream

3 large potatoes, cubed small 3-4 cups (or more) fresh seafood (see below)

Instructions:

In a large pot, add the onion, celery, thyme and butter, and sauté on medium heat until slightly softened. Add in flour. Mix well and allow the butter and flour to thicken into a creamy roux. Add the white wine and whisk until smooth. Next, add the milk and cream and whisk until everything is well combined. Simmer on medium heat for 10 minutes, whisking often. Add salt and pepper to taste as it’s cooking.

While the broth is simmering, cook the potatoes in a separate pot. Boil gently for seven to eight minutes, until just slightly softened. Do not overcook. You can also boil your potatoes whole beforehand, cool them, and then chop cold to add into the soup.

Add mixed raw seafood, chopped into large chunks. I always use a mixture of white fish, salmon or trout, and shellfish. You can use haddock, halibut, cod, salmon, trout, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, or lobster. Any combination is delicious.

Add in the partially cooked potatoes. Simmer on low-medium heat for at least 20 minutes, until all the seafood is cooked. You can change the consistency of the broth while cooking by adding cream to make it thicker or by adding some of the starchy potato water to make it thinner.

Top with chopped fresh parsley and serve with warm tea biscuits or rolls and fresh butter.