Ingredients
1 cup carrots, cut to match-sticks
1 cup leek, diced
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup waxy potatoes cut to match-sticks
1 cup russet potatoes cut to 1/4 inch dice
3/4 pound salmon filet, 1-inch pieces
3/4 pound cod filet, 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound shrimp, 1-inch pieces (can be whole, if small)
1/2 pound lobster meat, 1-inch pieces
3 cups seafood stock
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons fresh dill or parsley
Directions
In a large, heavy bottomed dutch oven, heat the olive oil until smoking. Add the leeks and sauté until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add the carrots and sauté a few more minutes. Add both potato types, then the seafood stock. This should cover the vegetables. Cover with a lid and let simmer on low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the russet potatoes have disintegrated (this will help thicken the chowder) and the waxy potatoes and carrots are tender.
Add the fish and shrimp and let simmer on very low for 5-8 minutes, until the fish is cooked through. At this point, avoid stirring much — or stir gently — as if you are rough with the chowder, all the fish will fall apart. Add the lobster meat.
Add the milk and the cream and let come back to a gentle boil. Remove from the heat and taste. Add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, add your dill or parsley immediately before serving.
This amount will easily serve 6 people as a meal, or 10 people as an appetizer.
Note: you can actually use any combination of seafood that you like, i.e. instead of cod, you could use haddock, instead of lobster, you can use crab meat. The only type that I will not add to seafood chowder is scallops as they easily become rubbery in the liquid.
