You want a cream based or tomato based chowder?

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Fish Chowder
1 lb. clams, cleaned
1 lb. mussels, cleaned and bearded
1 x shallot, roughly chopped
3 x thyme sprigs
1 x bay leaf
2 cups white wine (substitute chk. stock if you want)
10 x white peppercorns (or black)
2 tbsp butter
2 cup heavy cream or whip cream
1/2 cup diced bacon
1/2 cup diced onion
1 x garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup diced celery, blanched
1/2 cup diced carrots, blanched
1/2 cup diced Yukon gold potatoes
1 lb. snapper, cleaned and cut into small pieces
1 lb. salmon, cleaned and cut into small pieces
1 x lemon, juice only
1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley
Directions:
Fish Chowder
Place clams and mussels in a large pot with shallots, thyme, bay leaf, white peppercorns, white wine and butter.
Cover and bring this to a light boil until the clams and mussels completely open.
Remove from heat and strain liquid through a fine mesh strainer, reserving liquid.
Remove clam meat and mussel meat from shells and set aside.
In a large pot sauté bacon over medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Add diced onion and garlic and sauté for a further 2 minutes.
Add carrots, celery and potatoes.
Add reserved liquid and cream. Allow to simmer until potatoes are fork tender.
Add snapper, salmon, cooked clam and mussel meat. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat.
Adjust seasoning and add lemon juice. Serve in individual soup bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

You can subsitute the snapper and salmon for any firm fleshed fish but I'd definitely use the salmon...lotsa' flavour (not to mention my fave!!!)

Rarely do I use a recipe when cooking..cooking is one thing I can actually do. You can play around with this recipe...adding anything you want really...whatever you like. Be sure to save all the liquid form the clams and muscles for the base of the soup...that liquid is to die for!!!!!!!!

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Becky, do you not like the traditional, but easy, Maine Fish Chowder recipe?

Merme

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"In the midst of winter, I learned there lives in me an invincible summer" Camus (maybe a paraphrase)