Nici Wickes: Cheat’s Chowder

This is my ‘cheat’s chowder’ in the sense it’s super cheap to make but full of yumminess all the same. I’m a true seafood lover so I couldn’t be more delighted that in September I’ll be heading off to cook at not one but TWO seafood festivals! Ahead of these festivals I’ve been working on some seafood recipes that use sustainable seafood and I’ve been testing different chowder recipes - it’s such a great filling lunch or dinner and not too expensive to make if you know how.

Makes 2 servings 

Ingredients:

8-10 mussels

1/3 cup white wine

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tbsps butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, diced

1 carrot, peeled and diced

1 large potato, peeled and 2-cm diced

3 cups fish or vegetable stock

100mls cream

Zest from a half a lemon

140g salmon, skin removed, cut into chunks

Small handful parsley to garnish

Crusty bread to serve

Method:

Give mussels a quick scrub then pile them into a large pot with wine. Bring to a simmer, cover and steam for 2-3 minutes or until mussel shells spring open. Remove from heat and tip mussels and liquor into large bowl to cool. When cool enough to handle, remove the beards and discard. Remove mussel meat and chop roughly or blend in a food processor for a smoother chowder. Leave one or two in the shell if you want to be fancy and use it to garnish.

Heat oil and butter in saucepan and sauté onion until beginning to soften. Add celery and carrot and cook, covered, until softened – about 10 minutes.

Pour in reserved mussel/wine liquor and stock and add the cubed potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are soft, another 10 minutes I’d say.

Just before serving pour in the cream and add lemon zest, salmon and put the mussels back in.

Bring to a simmer and cook for 1-2 minutes only or until fish is just cooked. Taste and add salt if required and a decent grind of black pepper.

Serve garnished with parsley and with buttered bread. 

Nici’s note: Any fish or shellfish can be used - try cockles and/or pipis and add calamari instead of salmon if you prefer.

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