Comfort Food

Lobster right now is cheaper than bologna. Not so good news for our local fisherman, but great news for me! I love lobster... preferably steamed. Served with drawn garlic butter. Mmmm...

Last week, we picked up about a half dozen from the wharf. They were enormous! And delicious! I could barely get through one though. I froze the leftovers and made lobster stock with the shells in anticipation of making a chowder. Which I did tonight. It's very good, but tomorrow it will be heaven...

So if you like a good seafood chowder, I'm going to share with you my personal recipe. There are many styles of chowder. Some creamy, some not, some with seafood, some just fish. This particular chowder is indicitive of the area I live in - South Western Nova Scotia - it's packed with lobster and though creamy, it's not thickor heavy. I've had loads of chowders... this one is my favorite. Best of all it's simple.

Lobster Chowder:

6-8 yellow potatoes, peeled and diced

1 bottle of clam juice

3 cups of lobster stock (fish or vegetable stock can be used instead)

1/4 lb butter

Meat from 1-2 lobsters (1lb canned frozen meat can be substituted for fresh)

2 onions, minced

3/4 lb medium sea scallops

1 litre (quart) whole milk or half and half

Salt and pepper

Put diced potatoes in a large pot and pour in the clam juice. Trust me on the clam juice! You can find it at your local fish counter or sometimes in the international fod section at the grocery store.

Pour stock over the potatoes until just covered. You can use water instead, but cooking the potatoes in clam juice and stock infuses them with LOTS of flavour. Bring to a boil, simmer until potatoes are *just* fork tender. Don't drain! Turn off the heat and get on with the lobster!

Roughly chop lobster meat and sautee in all but 1 tbsp of the butter for about 2 minutes.

Oh I could stop here. Mmmm, butter!

Ok... now the South Shore secret: Add the vinegar and continue to sautee for another minute. This step will give your chowder a gorgeous pink/orange tinge. Now add to your potatoes and stock.

In the same pan you sauteed the lobster - sweat the onions in the remaining butter and add the scallops. Cook until just opaque and add to the yummy pot of goodness.

Now... Once everything else is in the pot - add the milk/cream. Don't add too much. You want it creamy, but you also want good broth to seafood ratio. Bring to a boil and then turn off immediately. Serve right away with fresh biscuits and butter. Or do what I did and make salt cod cakes (tomorrow's recipe!)

*For BEST results - chill and reheat chowder the next day. The flavour is worth the wait!

Bon appetite!

Comments

[Carolyn Fell]

Thanks Gilmour! I'm drooling all over myself AND on my way to your house for reheated chowder.