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Seafood Chowder
Ingredients
200g/7oz/generous 1 cup drained canned corn
600ml/1 pint/2½ cups milk
15g/½oz/1 tbsp butter
1 small leek, sliced
1 small garlic clove, crushed
2 rindless smoked streaky (fatty) bacon rashers (strips), finely chopped 1 small green or red (bell) pepper, seeded and diced
1 celery stick, chopped
115g/4oz/generous ½ cup white long grain rice
5ml/1 tsp plain (all-purpose) flour
About 450ml/¾ pint/scant 2 cups hot chicken or vegetable stock
4 large scallops
115g/4oz white fish fillet, such as monkfish, plaice or flounder
15ml/1 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
Good pinch of cayenne pepper
30-45ml/2-3 tbsp single (light) cream (optional)
Salt and ground black pepper
Crusty bread, to serve
Details
Serves: 4
Method
1. Place half the drained corn in a food processor or blender. Add a little of the milk and then process until the mixture is thick and creamy. Set aside.
2. Melt the butter in a large, heavy pan. Add the leek, garlic and bacon and gently fry for 4-5 minutes until the leek has softened but not browned.
3. Add the diced green or red pepper and the chopped celery and cook over a very gentle heat for 3-4 minutes more, stirring frequently, until the pepper and celery have softened slightly.
4. Stir in the rice and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally, until the grains begin to swell, then sprinkle the flour evenly over the top of the rice and vegetables. Cook for about 1 minute, stirring all the time, then gradually stir in the remaining milk and the hot stock.
5. Bring the mixture to the boil over a medium heat, then lower the heat and stir in the creamed corn mixture, with the whole corn. Season well.
6. Cover the pan and simmer very gently for about 20 minutes, or until the rice is tender, stirring occasionally. Add a little more chicken or vegetable stock or water to the pan if the mixture thickens too quickly or if the rice begins to stick to the base of the pan.
7. Cut the corals away from the scallops and set them aside; slice the white flesh into 5mm/¼in pieces. Cut the white fish fillet into bitesize chunks.
8. Add the scallops and chunks of fish to the chowder. Stir gently, then cook for 4 minutes.
9. Stir in the scallop corals, parsley and cayenne pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the scallops are just cooked and heated through, then stir in the cream, if using. Adjust the seasoning and serve.
COOK'S TIP:- Instead of using a food processor, chop the corn finely and transfer to a bowl. Beat in the milk a little at a time until the mixture is thick and creamy.
VARIATIONS:- You can use other shellfish in place of the scallops if you prefer - try fresh or frozen prawns (shrimp), mussels or clams, which are equally good in or out of their shells.
Allow frozen shellfish to thaw at room temperature before adding to the chowder.
Undyed, naturally smoked haddock or cod would make a delicious alternative fish.
Energy 373Kcal/1569kj; Protein 26g; Carbohydrate 45.1g, of which sugars 11.8g; Fat 10.4g, of which saturates 4.8g; Cholesterol 54mg; Calcium 217mg; Fibre 2.7g; Sodium 313mg
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