Christmas Eve Seafood Chowder

If you love seafood, this is an elegant and impressive chowder to serve on special occasions. The chowder is very easy to prepare with an incredibly rich-tasting broth which begins with smoky bacon, fresh fennel, and thyme. Add the seafood at the end of the cooking time for just a few minutes of simmering to prevent it from becoming overcooked and tough.

I used cod, shrimp, oysters, and mussels.

5 strips thick sliced bacon, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced fennel bulb, fronds reserved
1 T. unsalted butter

2 T. all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry white wine

3 bottles clam juice (8 oz. each)
1 1/2 cup diced peeled potatoes
12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 8 oz.)
16 oz. mussels, debearded
8 oz. firm white fish such as cod, cut into 1-inch chunks
8 oz. oysters

1/2 cup heavy cream
1 t. minced fresh thyme
salt
Tabasco sauce to taste

Saute bacon in a pot until crisp; transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour off all but 1 T. drippings. Add onion, fennel, and butter to pot, cover, and sweat over medium heat until vegetables are translucent about 5 minutes.

Stir in flour and cook 1 minute, then add wine and boil 1 minute.

Add clam juice and potatoes, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce to medium-low, and simmer until potatoes are fork tender, 8 - 10 minutes.

Stir in shrimp, mussels, and fish. Cover pot; simmer chowder until fish and shrimp are cooked through and mussels open, about 5 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels.

Stir in oysters, cream, and thyme and simmer chowder to heat through 2-3 minutes more. Season chowder with salt and Tabasco. Top servings with diced bacon and fennel fronds. Serve with toasted bread.

Recipe courtesy of Cuisine: Celebrate the Seasons