The Chowder Soup Base Food

CHOWDERS

Steps:

• Sauté the pork or bacon bits slowly with the butter in a large saucepan for 5 minutes, or until pieces begin to brown. Stir in the onions and bay leaf; cover, and cook slowly 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are tender. Drain off fat and blend crackers or bread crumbs into onions. Pour in the liquid; add the potatoes and simmer, loosely covered, for 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, and the soup base is ready.
• Chowder Suggestions:
• New England clam chowder:
• For about 2 1/2 quarts, serving 6 to 8. Scrub and soak 24 medium-size hard-shell clams. Steam them for 3 to 4 minutes in a large tightly covered saucepan with 1 cup water, until most have opened. Remove the opened clams; cover, and steam the rest another minute or so. Discard any unopened clams. Pluck meat from the shells, then decant steaming-liquid very carefully, so all sand remains in the saucepan; include the clam-steaming liquid as part of the chowder base. Meanwhile, mince the clam meats in a food processor or chop by hand. Fold them into the finished chowder base. Just before serving, heat to below the simmer--so the clams won't overcook and toughen. Fold in a little heavy cream or sour cream if you wish; thin with milk if necessary, correct seasoning, and serve.
• To prepare clams: Scrub one at a time under running water, discarding any that are cracked, damaged, or not tightly closed. Soak 30 minutes in a basin of salted water (1/3 cup salt per 4 quarts water). Lift out, and if more than a few grains of sand remain in the basin, repeat. Refrigerate, covered by a damp towel. It's wise to use them within a day or two.
• Fish chowder:
• Prepare the chowder base using fish stock, and/or light chicken stock, and milk. Cut into 2-inch chunks 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless lean fish, such as cod, haddock, halibut, monkfish, or sea bass, all one kind or a mixture. Add to the finished chowder base and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just until fish is opaque and springy. Correct seasoning, and top each serving, if you wish, with a spoonful of sour cream.
• Chicken chowder:
• Prepare the chowder base using 6 cups of light chicken stock and milk. Stir 3 cups or so of grated fresh corn into the finished base, adding, if you wish, 2 green and/or red peppers chopped fine and sautéed briefly in butter. Bring to the simmer for 2 to 3 minutes; correct seasoning, and top each serving, if you wish, with a spoonful of sour cream.
• Corn chowder:
• Prepare the chowder base using 6 cups of light chicken stock and milk. Stir 3 cups or so of grated fresh corn into the finished base, adding, if you wish, 2 green and/or red peppers chopped fine and sautéed briefly in butter. Bring to the simmer for 2 to 3 minutes; correct seasoning, and top each serving, if you wish, with a spoonful of sour cream.

BEST SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large soup kettle or Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon to paper towels; reserve drippings. Saute onions in drippings until tender. Add potatoes and water; bring to a boil. Cook for 10 minutes., Add the scallops, lobster, shrimp, cod and haddock. Cook for 10 minutes or until scallops are opaque, shrimp turn pink and fish flakes easily with a fork. Add the butter, salt, parsley and curry powder. Stir in milk and evaporated milk; heat through. Garnish with bacon, additional parsley, and oyster crackers, if desired.

SIMPLE SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat, then add the onion and bacon. Cook for 8-10 mins until the onion is soft and the bacon is cooked. Stir in the flour, then cook for a further 2 mins.
• Pour in the fish stock and bring it up to a gentle simmer. Add the potatoes, cover, then simmer for 10-12 mins until the potatoes are cooked through.
• Add the mace, cayenne pepper and some seasoning, then stir in the milk.
• Tip the fish pie mix into the pan, gently simmer for 4 mins. Add the cream and shellfish, then simmer for 1 min more. Check the seasoning. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with some crusty bread.

SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Steps:

• Melt butter in 3-quart saucepan over low heat.
• Saute' celery and onion until tender.
• Add cayenne pepper, thyme, marjoram and flour or baking mix and stir until smooth.
• Add milk and condensed soup and stir until piping hot.
• Meanwhile clean and chop seafood as you like.
• I usually halve the shrimp and then cut one half in half and leave the other half whole.
• If using extra large scallops I usually quarter them.
• When soup is piping hot add seafood and stir on medium heat until seafood is cooked through.
• Serve in bowls topped with some fresh parsley along with some crusty bread or oyster crackers and a nice salad.

AWARD WINNING SEA FOOD CHOWDER!

Steps:

• Place large pot on medium-low heat. Add bacon and gently cook until it hits the crisp stage.
• Meanwhile, parboil potato in lightly salted water for about four minutes.
• Mix cream and potato soup together in a bowl.
• Remove bacon, chop it finely or crumble it and set aside.
• Add to the pot of bacon drippings, the butter, carrots, onion, and celery. Cook stirring frequently until onions are translucent and vegetables are tender. Add flour and cook for about a minute or until the flour starts to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add chicken stock, 30 to 50 ml at a time, stirring constantly to make a smooth, creamy soup base. Add more chicken stock than recommended if you find it a little too thick.
• Turn up heat to medium and add the raw seafood. Bring to a simmer and cook for three to five minutes, or until shrimp are pink and have curled into a tight "c".
• When shrimp are pink, add potato soup mixture. Gently stir. Thin out soup with cream or milk if you find it too thick. When it starts to simmer, remove from heat.
• Serve with crumbled bacon pieces as a garnish and crusty bread as a side.