Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

1 Onion, diced
4 slices Smokey bacon
1 Leek, chopped
2 filets Smoked haddock, diced
2 Potatoes, diced
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
½ cup White wine
15-20 Clearwater Canadian Sea Scallops, thawed, with adductor removed, sliced in half
2 cups Clearwater Raw Frozen Claw & Knuckle Lobster Meat, thawed, rinsed and roughly chopped*
2 cups Shrimp, thawed, cut into bite-size pieces, if desired*
1L 35% Cream (heavy cream)
1L Whole Milk
4 Bay leaves
¼ bunch Fresh dill, chopped
2 tbps Canola oil
Salt and Pepper

Method

Cut bacon into small pieces, approximately 1 cm/half inch.

In a deep pot over medium heat, cook the bacon until brown and crisp. While the bacon is cooking, mince garlic and chop the onion, leek, and potatoes. Once bacon is done, add all the cut vegetables and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened.

There should be a good layer of brown forming on the bottom of the pot, this is the flavour we are looking for! Gently add in wine and scrape up brown bits to deglaze the pot.

Pour in cream and milk, then add in smoked haddock and bay leaves. Simmer until potato is soft but still firm in the centre.

Add scallops, lobster meat* and shrimp* to the pot and simmer until fully cooked, approximately 7-8 minutes on medium heat.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and add in chopped dill right before serving.

Serve hot with warm, crusty bread.

*If using cooked lobster meat or cooked shrimp add after scallops are cooked to warm through.