This is a lush version of a seafood chowder I make it with cream and butter. I have to admit I am getting rather bored of the reaction by a lot of folks these days when butter and cream is mentioned, we all know in moderation it's absolutely fine I mean look at the French !!! I'v cooked this chowder dish at the following gigs, Snoop Dog, the Irish Music Awards, The Corrs, REM, Neil Diamond, Robbie Williams thatsenough said here we go…..

750g mixed fish pieces

25g smoked boneless fish I avoid using cod as there are plenty of

other varieties out there ask the fishmonger or go online to find out.

75g raw prawn de shelled and cleaned if not pre done

1 medium white onion very finely diced

35g butter

10g fresh dill finely chopped

4 medium potatoes peeled, cubed, boiled and mashed (do this first before you start cooking the fish

2 tbsps. fish stock paste or 2 or 3 fish stock cubes

250ml fresh pouring cream

2 1/2 pint's water

We need to make a Swiss roux this sounds awful but it's the best way to thicken chowder without that floury taste or the fish dissolving to nothing but flaky bits. 2tbsp vegetable oil, 4 tbsp all purpose flour mix to a paste set aside.

Boil the cubed potatoes and make your mash set aside.

In a non stick pot or wok style pan gently melt your butter, add the finely diced onion, cover the pan with a lid allow the onions to "sweat" for about 2 minutes, be careful not to brown the onions, remove the lid and add all the fish except the prawns, set them aside till the last minute, lightly toss the mix in the pan add the water and fish stock combine gently and bring to a soft simmer now add your mash potato simmer for a further 5 minutes till the fish is cook through and the mash has melted into the mix, try not to over stir your chowder as you want to keep the fish in chunks, at this stage enter the Swiss roux, you can decide how thick you do the chowder add a little at a time of the roux gently stirring as you go, do not take your eyes off the chowder at this stage as it thickens fast.

Add the cream, fresh dill and prawns, simmer for a further minute and serve in warm bowl and crusty bread smothered in butter yes there's that butter again …

Tip

Most supermarkets or fishmongers do a smoked fish/seafood mix.

Enjoy

Denise

Ps Please feel free to comment or ask me some question I'll be more than happy to have a chat