SEAFOOD CHOWDER (ATLANTIC CANADA) RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Seafood Chowder (Atlantic Canada) Recipe - (4.5/5) image

Provided by á-646

Number Of Ingredients 13

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3 or 4 slices good bacon, finely chopped
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 or 3 Yukon Gold (or other high starch potato such as Idaho or Russet) potatoes, peeled and chopped into small dice
250 ml bottle of clam juice
3 cups water
4 bay leaves
1 lb mixed seafood, de-boned and cut into small bits
1 cup cream (18 per cent milk fat, known here as "coffee cream").
pinch of thyme
salt and plenty of fresh cracked black pepper

Steps:

1. Start by heating a large soup pot, preferably stainless steel (not non-stick) over medium high heat, then adding the bacon. Stir and fry the bacon until it's nicely browned. Pour off all but about a tablespoon of the fat that accumulates. 2. Reduce heat to medium and add the butter. 3. Add the onion and celery and saute gently for about five minutes until the onion is nice and soft. Add one (just one!) clove of the garlic and stir for a few seconds. 4. Add in the potato, the clam juice, water and bay leaves and bring the mixture to a rapid boil over high heat. 5. Keep the heat at medium-high and boil it hard for 10 minutes. This helps to release starch from the potato which helps to thicken the chowder later. 6. Reduce heat to medium-low and add in the seafood. Simmer very gently for five to eight minutes. 7. At this point, the chowder can be cooled and stored until you're ready to finish and serve it later. When ready to serve, add in the cream, a pinch of dried thyme, a very finely minced clove of garlic and salt and pepper to taste. 8. I personally like a chowder that has that rich flavour of fresh garlic (not too much though) and is very peppery. 9. Bring the pot just to a steaming hot (don't let it boil) temperature over medium-low heat, about ten minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Serve with bread, biscuits or crackers and a side donair.