The Mother Load Seafood Chowder

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Goodmama's Seafood Chowder
Goodmama, California

Serving Size: 8    Preparation Time - 3:00

Amount Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------     ------------        --------------------------------
1 1/2     Sticks            Butter
   3/4        lb                   onions -- diced
4            stalks            celery -- diced
1            cup                flour
2            8 oz. bottle   clam juice and juice from canned clams (below)
3            cups              water
1 1/2      lb                   new potatoes -- diced with skins on
1/2         Tablespoon thyme
1            whole             bay leaf
1 1/2      Tablespoons   salt
3/4         teaspoon      white pepper
3/4         pound           medium raw shrimp -- peeled, deveined & (see note below for
                                             using cooked shrimp) -- cut into 3 pieces
3/4         pound           large sea scallops cut into smaller pieces
1/2         pound           lobster meat, cut up
1/2         pound           Chilean Sea Bass or other firm fish
1            10 oz. can    Chicken-of-the-Sea whole baby clams
1            pint                half and half
2            Tablespoons   dry sherry

1. In a large nonstick soup pot, sauté onions and celery in melted butter until tender, stirring frequently. Stir in flour to make a roux and cook, stirring frequently, 2 - 4 minutes.

2. Add clam juice (bottled and juice from canned clams) and water and stir until smooth. Add potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. (Try to dice potatoes relatively small. It could take anywhere from 20 - 40 minutes to cook the potatoes, depending on their size.) While potatoes are cooking, stir periodically so potatoes don't settle to the bottom and brown.

3. Add all RAW fish/seafood. IF USING COOKED SHRIMP, WAIT to add them later. Simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Add clams (and cooked shrimp, if using) and half & half and stir well. Heat through.

5. Just before serving add dry sherry. Top each serving with freshly ground pepper.

Serving Ideas : Serve with crusty bread and a salad.

NOTES : This recipe uses 2 1/4 pounds of fish and seafood. You can use whatever combination you like. If you don't want to use lobster (it gets expensive) you can increase the other fish to make up the difference (e.g.., 1 pound shrimp, 3/4 pound scallops, 1/2 pound sea bass).

INSIST on smelling fish when you buy it; IF IT SMELLS FISHY it isn't fresh and you'll end up with a very fishy chowder.

Try to have everything cut up and ready to go BEFORE you start cooking anything.

Try to cut potatoes and fish into similar sizes.

Be careful to not boil the seafood as it will become tough. If you reheat the chowder later, do so on a very low heat, slowly. If you are serving this to guests and want to do most of the work ahead of time, stop before adding the fish/seafood. Reheat the soup when you're ready to eat and when it's hot, finish the recipe.