Seafood Chowder

It’s coming towards the end of January and everyone is well underway with their new year detoxes…well everyone other than me.

I am usually extremely healthy, starting the day with a bowl of porridge or yogurt, eating fruit or soup for lunch and cutting my sugary snack intake during the day. However, when it comes to dinner I can think of nothing more depressing during these winter months, than tucking into rabbit food and cardboard. Also, a g&t always goes down a treat and works wonders on my mood, therefore why should I sacrifice something that makes me happy!? My new years resolution isn’t dry and detox January, it’s just stay happy, healthy and exercise as much as possible, basically my goal for life not just for this month.

I know it’s tricky to balance enjoyment with health, but just because it tastes great doesn’t mean it has to be bad. Food enjoyment is mainly down to lots of flavours and fresh ingredients, and remember a dash of something naughty isn’t going to hurt, just try to work it off the following day.

One of my main food staples is fish and there is no doubt that it makes you look and feel great, so during this chilly snap a seafood chowder never fails to satisfy me, whilst remaining on the healthy’ish’ side – be warned my following recipe doesn contain some cream, however it is only 1/4 of a pint and served between six really isn’t much. You could always give the cream a miss, but I say keep it in and work it off tomorrow… you won’t regret it.

My Seafood chowder recipe – serving 6:

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive olive

110g/4oz streaky bacon, rind removed, cut into pieces

175-225g/6-8oz chopped onions

25g/1oz plain flour

1½ pints fish stock

¾ pint milk

Bouquet garni

12 new potatoes, cut in half

salt and freshly ground pepper

chopped red chilli (quantity your preference)

1 small tin of sweetcorn

700g/1½ lb smoked haddock, cod or other firm white fish

150ml/¼ pint single cream

450g/1lb mixed cooked shellfish – mussels and prawns

A handful of freshly chopped parsley

Crusty bread and butter

Method

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the bacon well until it is crisp.
2. Add the onion, cover and sweat for a few minutes over a low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes.
3. Add the fish stock gradually. Add the milk, bouquet garni and potatoes. Season well with salt, pepper and chilli.
4. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are almost cooked, approximately 5-6 minutes.
5. Cut the fish into chunks. Add to the saucepan as soon as the potatoes are cooked.
6. Add sweetcorn and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes, stir in the cream and add the shellfish. When boiling, remove from the heat.
7. Taste, correct the seasoning and sprinkle with parsley.

I think the chowder is best served with crusty bread and butter and a wedge of lemon, however if you are staying clear of the carbs, just eat it on its own, the potatoes are filling enough.

Enjoy 🙂