Ravenous Recipes: Gourmet Chowders

Alright. You're bored with New England Clam Chowder, Boston Fish Chowder, Chicken and Corn Chowder and all those other bunny slope chowders. You want the black diamond chowders.

Yeah babies!

Have at it!

These chowders are for experts only. Don't say you weren't warned.

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Seafood Safety and Sustainability

OceansAlive.org: Great resource for check for health warnings on seafood as well as sustainability issues. - Please check your ingredients before you go shopping:

Clams - Crab - Scallops - Mussels - Shrimp/prawns
- Sole - Flounder - Squid - Cod - Haddock - Snapper - Conch
Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch: Monitors sustainable fishing issues.

RECIPE: Chaudree

The word chowder comes from is the French word "chaudière" which refers to a pot that fisherman use to cook fish stew. Here's a recipe for that stew adapted from Madeleine Kamman's The New Making of a Cook:

* 1/3 Cup of Butter
* 1/2 LB of Onion, chopped
* 6 Leeks, washed and chopped
* 1/2 LB of Carrot, coarsely chopped
* 1 LB of Squid, cleaned and sliced
* 2 large cleaned Sole or Flounder frames
* 2 Haddock heads, cleaned
* 1 LB Whiting, cleaned and cut into pieces
* Kosher Salt and fresh ground Pepper
* 2 Quarts Fish Stock
* 2 Cups bottle Clam Juice
* 1 1/2 Cups Dry White Wine
* Large Bouquet Garni
* 1/2 Cup cloves Garlic, peeled
* dash of ground Cloves
* 1/2 tsp ground Coriander
* 1 Quart Mussels, scrubbed and debearded
* 1 Quart Manilla or Cherrystone Clams
* 3 Shallots, minced
* Flour
* 2 TB Cognac
* 3 TB fresh Tarragon, chopped

1. Heat 1/4 cup of butter in a large pot. Add the onions, leeks, and carrots and cook over medium heat until the onions are soft, 5 min.

2. Add all the fish, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper cover . Let the fish and vegetables sweat on low heat until the juices extracted from the fish a lmost cover the solids in the pot. Keep breaking the boness as they fall apart.

3. Add the fish stock, clam juice, wine and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the soft-fleshed fish falls apart and the squid has turned hard, 25 min. Continue destroying the fish pieces as much as possible during the cooking process to extract as much juice as possible. Strain into a large bowl.

4. Put the garlic cloves in a small pan; add just enough of the prepared double broth to cover the garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook over low heat until the garlic falls apart, 35 min. Whisk into a puree and add cloves and coriander. Blend back into the double broth and reheat.

5. Put the mussels, clams and shallots in a large sauce pan. Add 1 cup of double broth, cover pan, bring to a boil, and steam open clams and mussels. Discard those don't open. Leave the shellfish in the hot liquid.

6. In a small pot combine 3 TB

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RECIPE: Deconstucted New England Clam Chowder

The New York Times: New Wave Cooking: . . . Oxtail foam is no dinner, however, and we still needed a first course, so we called José Andrés, a Spanish-born chef who trained with [Ferran] Adrià at El Bulli, for some grounding. Online, we had seen a photo of the deconstructed New England clam chowder he serves at his six-seat Minibar in Washington, a shrine to avant-garde cooking. "It's simple," he told us, launching into the inspiration for his chowder. "I was tired of muddy, overcooked chowders. I wanted to create a clam chowder that had more of the pristine flavor of the sea."

Mr. Andrés breaks the classic dish down into its component parts: cream, potatoes, clam, clam broth, onion, bacon and chives. From each of these elements, he creates a purée or sauce, thickening them to varying, and slightly unexpected, viscosities: the onion is a thick jam, the potatoes are a runny purée and the cream, flavored with smoky bacon, is lightly frothed. A nearly raw clam floats on top of the different components, lacquered with a clam-broth gel. A pinch of crushed potato chips scattered on top gives textural contrast to the goos and oozes. The diner's spoon provides the final stir that blends the ingredients and sets the "chowder" in motion.
Deconstructed New England Clam Chowder: Adapted from José Andrés

Time: 1 hour and 45 minutes

* 2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 12 cherrystone clams, rinsed clean
* 12 to 16 ice cubes
* 1 packet ( 1/4 ounce) unflavored gelatin powder
* 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
* 1/2 cup minced chives (about 1 ounce)
* 1/2 pound russet potatoes (about 1 medium potato), peeled, cut into 8 pieces
* 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
* Crushed black pepper to taste
* 2 cups chopped white or yellow onion (about 1 large)
* 1/4 pound thick-cut bacon, about 4 slices
* 6 potato chips, finely crushed.

1. For clams and clam-broth jelly, fill a 6-quart pot halfway with water, add 1 tablespoon salt, and boil over high heat. Immerse 4 clams for 15 to 20 seconds, and remove. Working over a small bowl, shuck the 4 clams with a short sharp paring knife, reserving liquid they release. Reserve shelled clams in another small bowl. Return any stubborn clams to boiling water for a few seconds. Repeat, cooking 4 clams at a time, using all 12. Drain any accumulated clam juice into clam juice bowl, cover clams with plastic wrap, and chill in refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, pour 1 1/2 quarts cold water into a large bowl and add ice cubes. Strain clam juice into another small bowl. (You should have about 1 cup; add water if necessary.) Pour 3/8 cup clam juice into small saucepan, and heat over medium-low heat until it simmers. Soften unflavored gelatin in remaining clam juice. Pour hot clam juice over gelatin, and whisk until it dissolves. Set bowl of clam juice and gelatin halfway into ice-water bath, whisking often, for about 5 minutes, as the gel begins to set. Remove bowl when juice is barely set, but not firm.

3. For chive oil, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a small saucepan until just smoking; remove from heat. Add minced chives and 1/4 teaspoon salt, stirring to dissolve. Let cool for 10 minutes, purée in a blender, strain through a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter, and reserve.

4. For potato purée, boil 4 cups water in a small saucepan. Add 1 teaspoon salt and potatoes, and cook until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving boiling water, and mash potatoes in medium bowl. Add 1 teaspoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 6 tablespoons potato water, blending with an immersion blender or food processor until potatoes are a thick paste. Add 2 tablespoons cream, stirring, until potato is consistency of thickened cream. Thin further, if necessary, with potato water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm, or warm before serving.

5. For onion jam, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and chopped onion in a medium skillet over medium-low heat and sauté, stirring frequently, until onion is very soft, but not caramelized, about 15 minutes. Purée in a food processor with 1 tablespoon olive oil until smooth; season with salt to taste and reserve. Keep warm or warm before serving.

6. For bacon cream, lay bacon in a cold, medium skillet, and fry over medium-high heat, flipping several times, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add 1 cup cream to pan with bacon still in it and turn off heat under pan. Allow to rest 5 minutes; remove and reserve bacon strips from pan. Chop bacon finely, for use as a garnish. Keep cream warm but not hot, whipping to a froth in a bowl just before serving.

7. Assemble servings in 6 small shallow bowls. Spoon 2 tablespoons warm potato purée into each bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of warm onion jam, slightly off-center. Spoon 1 tablespoon bacon cream around edge of purées. Place a room-temperature clam in center of bowl. If clam broth jelly has solidified, pulse it with an immersion blender or whisk it until it is a loose gel, and spoon 1 teaspoon directly over clam in each bowl. Drizzle chive oil over dish. Garnish with reserved diced bacon and with pinches of crushed potato chips.

Yield: 6 servings.

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RECIPE: San Francisco Crab Meatball Chowder

If you are looking for a chowder that is deeply flavored and hearty but not overly rich, this is it. It's perfect for a casual occasion, but the "meatballs" deliver an element of surprise, along the lines of an optical illusion, and make it really quite special.

The idea for this chowder came from an old San Francisco recipe for "Force Meatballs" in a cookbook called Joe Tilden's Recipes for Epicures (1907), reprinted in Richard Hooker's Book of Chowders. The "meatballs" were actually made from crabmeat, a fun idea that I knew had great potential. Tilden, a renowned Bay Area amateur cook, left only these instructions for his meatballs: "Serve in any fish chowder or soup." So I paired my version of his meatballs with a chowder that had flavors similar to cioppino, the famous San Francisco seafood stew flavored with garlic, onions, bell peppers, and tomatoes. I served it to my wife and kids, telling them only that it was "meatball chowder." The well-browned meatballs look like the real thing, so they were all a bit dumbfounded when they tasted them. My son, J.P., said "Wow, they taste like crab cakes!" Everybody loved the chowder!

- Jasper White

.

From Jasper White's 50 Chowders: .
For the Crab Meatballs

* 1 pound crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
* 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
* 1/4 cup milk
* 1 heaping teaspoon Coleman's dry English mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 4 ounces oyster crackers, Pilot crackers, or other similar crackers, finely ground (about 1 cup)
* Kosher or sea salt
* Tabasco or other hot sauce
* About 1 cup vegetable oil, for cooking the meatballs

For the chowder

* 2 medium blue or rock crabs (12 ounces each) or 1 Dungeness crab (1 1/2 to 2 pounds)
* 4 ounces slab (unsliced) bacon, rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice
* 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped (1 tablespoon)
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1 medium onion (8 ounces), cut into 3/4-inch dice
* 1 medium green bell pepper (4 to 6 ounces), cut into 1/2-inch dice
* 2 dried bay leaves
* 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
* 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEI, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice
* 4 cups Crab Stock, Traditional Fish Stock, or Chicken Stock
* 1 can (28 ounces) peeled whole tomatoes in juice, cut into 1/2-inch dice
* Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For garnish

* 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley

1. To make the meatballs, place the crabmeat in a mixing bowl and shred with a fork. Add the eggs, milk, dry mustard, pepper, and cracker crumbs. Mix well. Season with salt and hot sauce to taste. Moisten your hands and roll the mixture into balls that are about 3/4- to 1-inch in diameter (about 1/2 ounce each); keep your hands slightly wet so the balls are very smooth. Place on a cookie sheet. You should have about 36 balls. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the chowder.

2. To cook the crabs, fill a 6- to 8-quart pot with 1/2-inch ocean water or tap water with enough salt added to make it very salty. Bring to a boil, place the crab(s) top shell (carapace) down in the pot, cover, and steam for about 12 minutes for smaller crabs, about 20 minutes for a Dungeness crab. Remove and allow to cool at room temperature.

3. When cool enough to handle, remove the crab legs, break into sections, and neatly crack the large pieces. Pick the meat from the small pieces and reserve. Remove the apron (tail flap) from the bottom of each crab and discard. Remove the top shell, scoop the green stuff (tomalley) out of it, and reserve; discard the shell. Remove the gills from the body and discard. Cut the body into quarters and trim away any extraneous shell or cartilage. Refrigerate all the crabmeat, crab pieces, and tomalley until ready to use.

4. Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is a crisp golden brown. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.

5. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the butter, onion, bell pepper, bay leaves, and the Old Bay Seasoning and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the onion and pepper are softened but not browned.

6. Add the potatoes and crab stock, turn up the heat, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 10 minutes, until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the broth hasn't thickened lightly, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot and cook a minute or two longer to release their starch.

7. Lower the heat to medium, add the tomatoes, and bring back to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cracked crab legs, picked leg meat, tomalley, and body sections. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.

8. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat. While it is reheating, place an 8- or 9-inch skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, add about 1/2 inch vegetable oil, and heat to about 350°F. Carefully but quickly add 8 to 10 meatballs to the hot oil and pan-fry, turning them as needed, until they are a rich brown color on all sides, so they resemble real meatballs. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meatballs, letting the excess oil drain back into the pan, then place on paper towels to drain. Repeat with the remaining meatballs.

9. Ladle the chowder into shallow bowls or large soup plates, making sure that the crab, onions, peppers, tomatoes, and potatoes are evenly divided. Place 4 meatballs in each bowl and sprinkle generously with the chopped parsley. Serve the remaining meatballs on a plate or platter; your guests can add more, if desired.
epicurious.com: Cook's Notes
The chowder can be made up to 2 days in advance, but the crab meatballs should be made the day they are being served. They are pan-fried at the last minute as the chowder is reheating.

In addition to the crab meatballs, the chowder contains two whole crabs. Steaming and cracking the crabs is a bit of work, but they add great flavor. If you use the full amount of crab stock called for in the recipe, you can omit the crabs and still have a great chowder, but do not omit them if you make the chowder with fish or chicken stock. Without any crab flavor in the chowder, the meatballs don't connect. Even with crab stock, I recommend the cracked crabs; they add character and rustic charm.

For equipment, you will need a 6- to 8-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid (for steaming the crabs), a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot with a lid (for making the chowder), a wooden spoon, and an 8- to 9-inch skillet or sauté pan, a slotted spoon, and a ladle.

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BOOKSTORE: Jasper White's 50 Chowders

50 Chowders: One Pot Meals - Clam, Corn, & Beyond

by: Jasper White

The king hell daddy of New England cooking let's loose his talent on chowder.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: $22.80 (as of 12/22/2009)
List Price: $30.00
Used Price: $2.96

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RECIPE: Shrimp and Fennel Chowder

I was a bit surprised not to find a tradition of shrimp chowder anywhere in this country. The lion's share of chowders orignated in New England, but shrimp are only caught here in the winter, up in Maine. "Maine" shrimp (Borealus red shrimp) are small and delicate. They are good in a quick-cooked stew or pureed in a rich bisque, but they become very soft in the extended cooking time involved in making a chowder. In the Southern states, along the East Coast and the Gulf Coast, big white shrimp are abundant, but they are traditionally cooked in gumbos and "muddles" (seafood stews). And I found no trace of an authentic shrimp chowder on the West Coast. So, starting with a clean slate, I was able to create a chowder that expressed what I think a shrimp chowder should be. The is a lovely creamy pink chowder with delicious fennel flavor.

- Jasper White

From Jasper White's 50 Chowders: .
* 1 1/2 pounds small white shrimp (26 to 40 count)
* 1 small bulb fennel (8 ounces)
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 5 cloves garlic, 2 crushed and 3 finely chopped (1 tablespoon)
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 4 cups water
Kosher or sea salt
* 4 ounces slab (unsliced) bacon, rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice
* 1 medium onion (8 ounces), thinly sliced
* 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, finely chopped
* 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
* 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEI, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled, quartered, and sliced 1/4-inch thick
* 1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes with their juice, finely chopped
* 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper

1. Peel the shrimp, reserving the shells. (It is impractical to devein small shrimp, but if you are using the larger ones, I recommend that you do.) Split the shrimp lengthwise in half down the back, cover, and refrigerate until needed.

2. Remove the fronds (lacy top) from the fennel, coarsely chop, and reserve for garnish, covered and refrigerated. Trim off the tops and tough outer layers of the fennel and coarsely chop, reserve for the stock. Quarter the fennel bulb lengthwise, cut away the core, and cut very thinly across into 1/4- to 1/3-inch slices.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and the 2 crushed garlic cloves to a 10- to 12- inch high-sided skillet or sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat until the garlic begins to brown. Add the shrimp shells and sauté for 5 minutes, or until the shells turn red and are very aromatic. Add the fennel trimmings, the wine, and water, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes. Season lightly with salt. Strain the stock; you should have 3 1/2 cups.

4. Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is a crisp golden brown. Pour off all the fat except 1 tablespoon, leaving the bacon in the pot.

5. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and chopped garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the onion, sliced fennel, fennel seeds, and optional crushed red pepper and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes, until the onion and fennel are softened but not browned.

6. Add the potatoes and the reserved shrimp stock. The stock should just barely cover the potatoes; if it doesn't, add enough water to cover. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 8 minutes, until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the broth hasn't thickened lightly, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot and cook a minute or two longer to release their starch.

7. Reduce the heat to medium, add the tomatoes, and simmer for 5 minutes more. Stir in the shrimp and cook for 1 minute, then remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cream. Let sit for 10 minutes while the shrimp finish their slow cooking. Taste the chowder and season with black pepper and more salt if needed. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.

8. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Ladle into cups or bowls, making sure that the shrimp, fennel, potatoes, and bacon are evenly divided. Sprinkle with the reserved chopped fennel fronds.
epicurious.com: Cook's Notes:
If you are lucky enough to be able to purchase fresh shrimp, they will make outstanding chowder. However, good-quality frozen shrimp will also make a terrific chowder. Generally, there are two types of frozen shrimp: "white" shrimp, which are wild, and "tiger prawns" (which we incorrectly call shrimp), which are farm-raised. The white shrimp are superior to the tigers. Frozen shrimp should be defrosted slowly, in the refrigerator, for the best texture.

In keeping with the humble spirit of chowder, I use small shrimp (26 to 40 count per pound), which are less expensive than the larger ones. I also like this size because I can just slice the shrimp lengthwise in half, maintaining their natural curved shape, which is similar to the fennel. But larger shrimp are just fine for chowder if you cut them into bite-sized pieces; actually, their texture is a little better than the smaller shrimp. Don't use any shrimp smaller than 40 count.

For equipment, you will need a 10- to 12-inch high-sided skillet or sauté pan, a fine-mesh strainer, a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot with a lid, a wooden spoon, and a ladle.

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RECIPE: Chupe de Marisco

From Douglas Rodriguez's Latin Ladles:

Chupes are South American chowders, usually made with potatoes, vegetables and some type of meat or seafood for flavoring. Chupe might have derived from the Sapnish word chupar which means "to suck" or "to absorb". . .

South Americans believe that a chupe is no good if it doesn't make you sweat. So the soup has to be spicy and served piping hot.

. . . A classical garnish for this soup would be hard-boiled eggs, but it's delicious without them.

* 4 Aji Amarillo Peppers, stemmed and seeded
* 1/2 Cup Pisco
* 3 TB Achiote Oil
* 1 Onion, diced
* 6 cloves Garlic, pounded into a paste
* 2 Red Bell Peppers, diced
* 1 tsp Tumeric
* 1 tsp Saffron threads
* 1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
* 2 Quarts Fish Stock
* 1 Carrot, peeled and diced
* 3 stalks Celery, diced
* 4 Plum Tomatoes, diced
* 1 tsp Cumin
* 1 tsp Corriander
* 3 TB Rice
* 3 Potatoes, peeled and diced
* 1 LB large Shrimp
* 1 LB dry Scallops - (most scallops are soaked in water containing sodium tripolyphosphate which causes them to retain more water)
* 1 LB Squid, cleaned, body and tentacles sliced
* 1 Cup fresh or frozen Peas
* 3 hard-boiled Eggs, chopped
* 2 Limes

1. Soak chiles in Pisco for 30 min.

2. Heat the achiote oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onion, garlric and bell peppers and saute for 3 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the turmeric, saffron, and pepper flakes. Add the Pisco and chiles and let the alcohol cook out, 5 min.

4. Add the stock, carrots, celery, tomatoes, coriander, cumin and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to low, add the rice and simmer for 15 min. Add the potatoes and simmer for 10 min. Turn off heat, cover, let rest for 10 minutes.

Add peas, and ladle into bowls. Garnish with eggs. Serve with lime wedges.

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BOOKSTORE: Latin Ladles

Latin Ladles: Fabulous Soups and Stews from the King of Nuevo Latino Cuisine

by: Douglas Rodriguez

Douglas Rodriguez is the king of Nuevo Latino. He does fancy funky high end Latin cooking and a book of soup and stew recipes is a great way to dig into his style of cooking. This cookbook is a blast. The pictures alone will get your juices flowing.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: (as of 12/22/2009)
List Price: $17.95
Used Price: $1.63

RECIPE: Chupe de Camarones

From Douglas Rodriguez's Latin Ladles:

I've eaten many different versions of this soup; this recipe is my take on the basic formula. Turmeric... is one of the key ingredients, as is the huacatay, a black mint from Peru. Mint is probably the best substitute, but it's a little stronger and doesn't have the slight cilantro flavor of huacatay. Served with white rice on the side this soup becomes a full meal.

. . .I leave the heads on the shrimp, but you may remove them if you like. The pastelike substance in the head of the shrimp gives the soup an incredible shrimp-like flavor.

Serves 4

* 3 TB Achiote Oil
* 1 Onion, diced
* 6 cloves Garlic, diced
* 1 Red Bell Pepper
* 6 Jalapeno Chiles, stemmed, seeded and diced
* 1 tsp Turmeric
* 1 TB Saffron threads
* 1 tsp Colman's Mustard Powder
* 1 Cup Dry White Wine
* 1 Gallon Shrimp Stock
* 2 Carrots, peeled and diced
* 3 stalks Celery, diced
* 3 New Potatoes, diced
* 2 TB Aji Amarilo Peppers diced
* 3 Plum Tomatoes, diced
* 8 sprigs Huacatay OR Mint and/or Cilantro - chopped
* 1 LB large heads on Shrimp, peeled and deveined
* Kosher Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper

Serves 4

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper, and jalapenos and stir. Cook 3 min. Add the turmeric, saffron, and mustard powder. Cook 3 min.

2. Add the wine and cook 2 min. Add stock, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Bring to a boil and hold at a boil for 5 min. Decrease heat to low , add the aji chile and tomatoes and simmer for 20 min.

3. Add the herbs and shrimp. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook 5 min. until shrimp are just cooked through.

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RECIPE: Bermuda Fish Chowder

From RecipeSource.com

* 3 LB Fish heads from non-oily fish, cut into 2" pieces
* 2 medium Celery stalks, chopped
* 2 medium Carrots, chopped
* 1 small Onion, sliced
* 1/2 Lemon, sliced
* Kosher Salt and fresh cracked Black Pepper
* 1 1/2 Bay leaves
* 5 1/3 Cup Water
* 1 LB Red Snapper
* 2 TB Butter
* 2 Celery stalks, chopped
* 1 Carrot, chopped
* 1 Onion, chopped
* 2 Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
* 1 1/4 Cup dry White Wine
* 2 tsp fresh Lemon Juice
* 1 1/3 tsp Tomato paste
* 1/2 tsp Paprika
* 1/2 tsp ground Thyme
* 1/4 tsp Hot Pepper Sauce
* 1 Bay leaf
* 1 pinch Cinnamon
* 1 pinch Freshly grated nutmeg
* 2 TB Dry sherry
* 1 TB Dark rum

1. Combine first 8 ingredients in large pot. Add water. Bring to boil, skimming surface occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, skimming surface occasionally. Add fish fillets and cook until opaque, about 5 minutes. Remove fish fillets using slotted spoon and flake slightly, then set aside. Strain stock through fine sieve; do not press on solids. Return stock to pot and simmer gently until reduced to 5 cups, about 5 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 2 celery stalks, 1 carrot and 1 chopped onion and cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes. Mix in all remaining ingredients except sherry and rum. Add stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes.

3. Discard bay leaf. Mix in sherry and rum (or use sherry pepper sauce). Add fish, and serve immediately.

(Note: The Bermudians add sherry peppers at the table.)

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RECIPE: Bahamian Conch Chowder

From A Taste of the Tropics:

Eating conch is a favorite Bahamian pastime. The conch boats arrive early in the morining, and the conchs are sold off the boats at the marina. Once the conch is expelled from its shell, it can be made into a fresh salad, fried as fritters, or stewed as chowder. Although fresh conch can be difficult to find, frozen or canned conch may be used for chowder.

Roux
* 2 TB Butter
* 2 TB Flour

Chowder
* 2 TB Butter
* 1 Onion, diced
* 1 Green Bell Pepper, seeded and minced
* 1 Scotch Bonnet, Habanero, or Jalapeno Pepper, seeded, ribs sliced out and minced
* 2 cloves Garlic, minced
* 2 TB Curry Powder
* Kosher Salt and fresh ground Pepper
* 2 Sweet Potatoes, scrubbed and diced
* 4 Cups Water
* 1 LB Conch Meat, diced
* 1/4 Cup canned crushed Tomato
* 1 Cup Light Cream

1. For the roux, add 2 TB of the butter to a skillet and slowly stir in the flour, cooking over low heat. Cook for 3 to 4 min, stirring frequently. The roux should resemble a golden paste. Set aside

2. Cook onion, bell pepper, garlic and hot pepper in butter in a saucepan for 5 min. over medium heat. Add the curry powder, black pepper and salt and cook for another 2 min. Add the sweet potatoes, water, conch, and crushed tomatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.

3. Whisk in the roux and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Stir in cream and simmer for 4 minutes.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

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BOOKSTORE: Sky Juice

Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking

by: Jessica B. Harris

I own a bunch of latin and caribbean cookbooks and this is my favorite. The recipe for pepperpot has become a staple of mine.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 12/22/2009)

RECIPE: Bahamas Conch Chowder

This is a little more refined version of conch chowder than the recipe from Taste of the Tropics.
From Sky Juice by Jessica Harris:

* 3/4 LB fresh Conch Meat, cleaned and tenderized or 3/4 LB canned
* Juice of 2 Limes
* 3 slices of Bacon, cut into 1" pieces
* 1 Onion, diced
* 1 Green Bell Pepper, fine dice
* 2 stalks Celery, diced
* 2 Carrots, diced
* 1 large Potato, diced
* 3 large Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
* 4 Cups Water
* 1 Bay Leaf
* 1 sprig fresh Thyme or 1/4 tsp dried
* 1 Shot Dark Rum

Serves 4 to 6

1. Clean the conch meat with the lime juice and then cut the tenderized conch into 1/2" pieces. Place the conch in a saucepan, cover it with water, bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook for 20 min. over low heat. (Canned conch will only need 10 min.) Drain the conch and reserve the cooking liquid.

2. While the conch is cooking, place the cacon slices in a skillet and cook them until the fat has been rendered. Saute the onion, bell pepper, celery, carrots, and potato in fat for 10 minutes.

3. Place the boiled conch, sauteed vegetables, and bacon into a large saucepan or stockpot, add the tomatoes, 2 cups of the reserved conch cooking liquid, water, bay leaf and thyme. Cook for 45 min. Add shot of rum and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Cook for 5 minutes.

Before Chowder | Noveau Chowder | Caribbean & Latin | Bookstore | Gear

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Before Chowder | Noveau Chowder | Caribbean & Latin | Bookstore | Gear

BOOKSTORE: Cookbooks with Exotic Chowders

50 Chowders: One Pot Meals - Clam, Corn, & Beyond

by: Jasper White

The king hell daddy of New England cooking let's loose his talent on chowder.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: $22.80 (as of 12/22/2009)
List Price: $30.00
Used Price: $2.96

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A Taste of the Tropics: Traditional and Innovative Cooking from the Pacific and Caribbean

by: Jay Solomon

This is a fun cookbook with complex recipes made easy.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: (as of 12/22/2009)
List Price: $2.95
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A Taste of the Tropics: Traditional and Innovative Cooking from the Pacific and Caribbean

by: Jay Solomon

Amazon Price: (as of 12/22/2009)
List Price: $14.95
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Latin Ladles: Fabulous Soups and Stews from the King of Nuevo Latino Cuisine

by: Douglas Rodriguez

Douglas Rodriguez is the king of Nuevo Latino. He does fancy funky high end Latin cooking and a book of soup and stew recipes is a great way to dig into his style of cooking. This cookbook is a blast. The pictures alone will get your juices flowing.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: (as of 12/22/2009)
List Price: $17.95
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Sky Juice and Flying Fish: Traditional Caribbean Cooking

by: Jessica B. Harris

I own a bunch of latin and caribbean cookbooks and this is my favorite. The recipe for pepperpot has become a staple of mine.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: $17.95 (as of 12/22/2009)
List Price: $19.95
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The New Making of a Cook: The Art, Techniques, And Science Of Good Cooking

by: Madeleine Kamman

Every serious cook should have this book on their shelf. Buy it read the chapter on eggs and be a better cook.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: (as of 12/22/2009)
List Price: $40.00
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Tapas: A Taste of Spain in America

by: Jose Andres, Richard Wolffe

The Deconstucted New England Clam Chowder recipe isn't in this cookbook, but I thought the recipe might whet your appetite for more of Andres' funky cooking.

-M.B.

Amazon Price: $23.10 (as of 12/22/2009)
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