Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

• 200 gms butter
• 200 gms onion, diced or chopped
• 200 gms carrot, diced or chopped
• 150 gms celery, diced or chopped
• 200 gms flour
• 3 ltrs good quality fresh fish stock
• 750 gms peeled, diced old potatoes
• 1 tsp curry powder
• a handful each of coriander and Italian parsley
• any combination of seafood, roughly cut to the same size as the potatoes
• choose from white fish (hoki is fine), mussels, cockles, Queen scallops (steam the shellfish then shell; save any liquor from steaming for adding to the soup), squid, octopus, shrimps, smoked fish
• salt and pepper

Method

Melt the butter in a large soup pot then cook the onion, carrot and celery without colouring. Add the flour and mix well.

Allow to cool slightly then gradually add the stock, which should be at boiling temperature. Stir vigorously to avoid lumps, then continue to add stock, stirring until it reaches the desired consistency.

Simmer for 10 minutes then add the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the curry powder and herbs.

If using the soup immediately add the seafood, seasoning and some cream for extra body. Otherwise, freeze the soup once it is cool. The seafood can be added on reheating.