Beaucoup Seafood Chowder

CURRY SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large pot, melt butter and add the onion and celery. Cook until soft, stirring occasionally.
• Add sweet potatoes. Add enough of the chicken broth to cover the vegetables, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sweet potatoes are just barely soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add your curry powder and seafood. Add just enough chicken broth to cover everything again, and give 'er a quick stir. Cook until the fish starts to flake, about 10 minutes.
• Add the cream and milk, give a stir and bring to simmer. Cook until the sweet potatoes are completely soft, about another 10 minutes.
• Leave on simmer until immediately before serving, you want to serve this HOT! Serve with rolls or (my personal preference for curry) naan!

BEAUCOUP SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, melt the butter and then saute the onions and celery over medium heat, allow to soften, about minutes. Add the potato and add only enough chicken broth (or water) to barely cover. Cook until the potato is just barely tender. Add the basil, oregano, celery salt, pepper, salt, paprika and Tabasco sauce.
• Layer the fish and shellfish on top. Add just enough chicken broth (or water) to cover. Cook only until fish barely flakes.
• Add the cream, and then fill the pot with the milk. If you think you're going to run out of room in the pot, skimp on the milk, not the cream.
• Allow the chowder to warm through. Keep on a bare simmer until serving or refrigerate and slowly heat up before serving.
• Notes & Tips:.
• Movita Boucoup recommends using at least two, 1/2 pound of each seafood selection in addition to the white fish. She strongly recommends scallops and lobster. Don't use any fish with a dominant flavour such as salmon, sardines, clams, etc.
• Water is traditionally used in chowders such as this and will taste just fine if you opt for that instead of broth. If using broth, it is recommended using a sodium reduced variety. If you're using canned and don't have enough, you can make up the difference with water. The chicken broth adds just a bit of richness to the chowder.
• Chowder is best on the second day, so when entertaining, make it the day before.
• To rewarm, put the pot on low and allow 45 minutes it to heat through. Do not allow the chowder to boil; low heat is key.
• You will notice that the spices seem to sit on top of the chowder. When you serve, give a little stir and then scoop; just the right amount of spice will come up with the ladle.

SEAFOOD CHOWDER 2.0: GUEST POST BY MOVITA BEAUCOUP

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, melt ½ cup butter and then sauté the onions, carrots and celery over medium heat - allowing them to soften a little - about 5 minutes. Add the potato and add only enough chicken broth to barely cover (about 3 cups). Stir to combine and then cook until the potato is just barely tender (8-10 minutes).
• As the potato is cooking, melt the remaining ¼ cup of butter in a skillet over medium heat and then add the lobster pieces to the skillet. Cook the lobster until the butter has taken on an orangey-red colour from the lobster, and the lobster has heated through. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Add the basil, oregano, celery salt, paprika, pepper and Tabasco sauce to the vegetables in the Dutch oven and stir to combine. It will seem like a lot of spices, don't worry. Layer the haddock, cod and scallops on top. Gently press the fish down so it is just covered with liquid. Cook only until fish barely flakes (4-5 minutes).
• Add the lobster and every last drop of butter from the skillet to the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream and the light cream. If you think you're going to run out of room in the pot, skimp on the light cream, not the heavy.
• Allow the chowder to warm through. Keep on low heat until serving or refrigerate and slowly heat up before serving. Don't allow to boil.