Seafood chowder
This classic dish is made with a hearty glug of Langham Estate's Dorset Chardonnay
Mel Pankhurst, chef at Langham Vineyard Café near Dorchester, shares her recipe for seafood chowder
langhamwine.co.uk
Serves 4
- Fresh clams and cockles 2kg, well-scrubbed
- Langham Chardonnay 250ml
- Water 350ml
- Thick unsmoked bacon or pancetta 200g, diced
- Onion 1, finely chopped
- Leek 1, finely chopped
- Garlic 2 cloves, finely chopped
- Sherry or brandy a dash
- Bay leaf 2
- Thyme 1 sprig
- Plain flour 2 tbsp
- Waxy potatoes 2 medium, diced into small chunks
- Fish or chicken stock 100-200ml
- Double cream 150ml
- Sweetcorn 300g
- Butter a knob of
- Fresh parsley 2 tbsp, chopped
- For the seafood chowder: place the scrubbed clams and cockles in a large pan with the wine and water. Cover, bring to the boil and steam until most are open. Pour the contents of the pan into a sieve with a bowl underneath to catch the liquid.
- Remove the shellfish from their shells and discard the shells. Roughly chop any large clams. Strain the liquid through a couple layers of paper towel or cheesecloth to remove any grit.
- Heat a heavy-based pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon in its own fat until it begins to render. Add the onion and leek and fry until soft. Once the bacon is crisp and everything is beginning to golden, add the garlic, sherry or brandy, bay leaf and thyme. Once the liqueur has cooked off (approx. 2 minutes), add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for another couple of minutes.
- Slowly add the shellfish liquid, stirring constantly, then add the diced potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). If you need additional liquid to cook the potatoes, add the fish or chicken stock gradually – you want to achieve a soup-like consistency.
- Stir in the clams, cockles, cream, sweetcorn and butter and heat through. Season to taste with plenty of black pepper, parsley and salt.
You will need
- Fresh clams and cockles 2kg, well-scrubbed
- Langham Chardonnay 250ml
- Water 350ml
- Thick unsmoked bacon or pancetta 200g, diced
- Onion 1, finely chopped
- Leek 1, finely chopped
- Garlic 2 cloves, finely chopped
- Sherry or brandy a dash
- Bay leaf 2
- Thyme 1 sprig
- Plain flour 2 tbsp
- Waxy potatoes 2 medium, diced into small chunks
- Fish or chicken stock 100-200ml
- Double cream 150ml
- Sweetcorn 300g
- Butter a knob of
- Fresh parsley 2 tbsp, chopped
Method
- For the seafood chowder: place the scrubbed clams and cockles in a large pan with the wine and water. Cover, bring to the boil and steam until most are open. Pour the contents of the pan into a sieve with a bowl underneath to catch the liquid.
- Remove the shellfish from their shells and discard the shells. Roughly chop any large clams. Strain the liquid through a couple layers of paper towel or cheesecloth to remove any grit.
- Heat a heavy-based pan over a medium heat and fry the bacon in its own fat until it begins to render. Add the onion and leek and fry until soft. Once the bacon is crisp and everything is beginning to golden, add the garlic, sherry or brandy, bay leaf and thyme. Once the liqueur has cooked off (approx. 2 minutes), add the flour and cook, stirring continuously, for another couple of minutes.
- Slowly add the shellfish liquid, stirring constantly, then add the diced potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes). If you need additional liquid to cook the potatoes, add the fish or chicken stock gradually – you want to achieve a soup-like consistency.
- Stir in the clams, cockles, cream, sweetcorn and butter and heat through. Season to taste with plenty of black pepper, parsley and salt.
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