Chowder is full of seafood and more, and actually a breeze to make

Published 10:50 pm Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Not surprisingly, recipes happened when Marietta Nelson of Clinton recently asked if Forum cooks could come up with the how-to for a certain seafood chowder.

“I’m looking for a recipe with a white base like clam chowder,” she told us, “that has clams, salmon, shrimp and some other either white fish or maybe scallops. There are potatoes and a few carrots.

“Can anyone fill in what else? Mom doesn’t recall making this, so it was either my Grandma Mary or my Aunt Bessie. Any help would be greatly appreciated.”

Tackling that “what else” slot, Camano Island cook Jeanette Anderson offers us a concoction that surely must plug any gaps. It’s so chock-full of this, that and the other, in fact, that all you really need to round out the meal is a loaf of crusty bread.

“I’m pretty sure this recipe was in The Herald a long time ago,” Jeanette says. “It’s a rich, wonderful chowder — maybe the one Marietta Nelson is looking for.”

Incidentally, that “long time ago” was actually long enough ago that all the combined fixings for this spooner-upper cost only $10.50. “I’m sure the price of the ingredients has gone up!” Jeanette adds.

Now don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you off. It’s a cinch to make:

Full-of-seafood chowder

3cups (about 3 potatoes) cubed potatoes (see note)

Water

1/4cup butter

1/2cup chopped onion

1/2cup chopped celery

2cloves garlic, minced

1jar (10 ounces) small oysters, undrained

1can (6 1/2 ounces) minced clams, undrained

1can (6 1/2 ounces) tiny shrimp, undrained

1/3cup dry white wine

1teaspoon chicken bouillon granules

1teaspoon salt

1/2teaspoon thyme leaves, crushed

1/2teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2teaspoon pepper

1bay leaf

5tablespoons flour

1/3cup cold water

1pound cod fillets, cubed

1/2cup diced green pepper

1/2pint whipping cream

1/4cup chopped parsley

1jar (2 ounces) chopped pimiento

Crusty bread

Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender; be sure not to overcook. Drain and set aside. In large soup kettle or saucepan, melt butter and saute onion, celery and garlic for 5 minutes. Drain oysters, clams and shrimp, saving liquids in a 4-cup measuring cup. Add enough water to the liquids to measure 3 cups; pour into saucepan with the onion mixture. Add wine, chicken bouillon, salt, thyme, nutmeg, pepper and bay leaf. Cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Mix flour and cold water to a smooth paste. Add to liquid, stirring constantly; cook until thickened. Add cod, green pepper and oysters. Simmer, uncovered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf. Add potatoes, whipping cream, clams, shrimp, parsley and pimiento. Heat through, until simmering. Serve hot with crusty bread.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Note: The original recipe used 1 1/2 cups small seashell pasta, cooked as directed on package, instead of the potatoes. If the chowder has to stand for any length of time, use the pasta instead of the potatoes, because potatoes will often get mushy. Another trick is to add an 8-ounce can of cream-style corn, or add 1 tablespoon cream-style corn to each serving, to add extra flavor.

SOS: Speaking of chowders, Everett reader Janet Levi says Marietta’s request “reminded me that many years ago, I found a recipe for a seafood chowder (but it was a tomato-base chowder) that I made. But the BEST recipe, printed in the very same section as the chowder, was for an absolutely wonderful cheese bread, made loaf style, that I made at the same time to serve at a dinner for guests.”

Continuing, Janet says, “I have looked for years through my ‘saved’ recipes, with no luck finding either one. Could you ask your readers if anyone can identify and share such a bread recipe?

“It was served warm with, as I mentioned, a tomato-base seafood chowder, and together they made a fantastic dinner, one my guests (the only time I made this) raved and raved about. I’m thinking I must have given the recipe to one of my guests but never had it returned to me. Unfortunately, she has since passed away.

“Actually, a recipe for either a tomato-base seafood or white seafood chowder would be complimented by the cheese bread, so maybe you could ask your readers for both the tomato-base chowder and the cheese bread.”

How about it, Forum folks? If you can share a recipe for either or both the cheese bread or red seafood chowder, please write to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206.

We are always happy to receive your contributions and requests, but please remember that all letters and e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com.