CLASSIC SEAFOOD CHOWDER
Reel in the catch of the day and serve up a comforting bowl of classic seafood clam chowder. Elevate the recipe with your favourite fish or shellfish and enjoy!
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter
2 stalks celery chopped
1 onion chopped
1 bay leaf
1 tsp (5 mL) dried dill or dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and diced
2 cups (500 mL) water or fish stock
1/3 cup (80 mL) all-purpose flour
3 cups (750 mL) Milk
2 cups (500 mL) chopped raw skinless fish fillets or cooked seafood (shrimp, lobster, scallops, crab, clams, oysters) or a combination
2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice
Whole grain crackers crumbled
PREPARATION
In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat; sauté celery, onion, bay leaf, dill, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper for about 5 min or until onions start to brown. Stir in potatoes; sauté for 2 min.
Increase heat to medium-high; stir in water and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium and boil for about 5 min or until potatoes are almost tender.
Whisk flour into milk and stir into pot; bring to a simmer, stirring often. Stir in fish or seafood; simmer, stirring often for 5 min or until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork or seafood is hot. Discard bay leaf. Stir in lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top each serving with crumbled crackers.
