Corn Chowder with Lobster

My lovely husband helped me with this one as I was working that day and didn't have time to make the stock.  It is absolutely worth it to make this stock…although it is a bit time consuming.  Serve with a nice bread and a green salad. From Food and Drink Winter 2001

750-1kg live lobster
1 stalk celery
1 carrot
1 sprig parsley
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup all purpose flour
3 cups lobster or fish stock
1 lb (500g) potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups frozen kernel corn
1/4 to 1/22 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup sliced green onions
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Place live lobster in a large pot of boiling water.  Cook 8 to 10 minutes then remove lobster.  Ladle 5 cups cooking water into a large saucepan.  Add celery, carrot, parsley and bay leaf.  Remove meat from lobster and discard tomalley and coral.  Add shells to cooking water.  Slice lobster and refrigerate.  Bring cooking liquid to a boil.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 hours.  Reserving broth, strain out and discard solids.  This can be done a day ahead and refrigerated.  Measure out 3 cups for chowder.  Freeze any remaining liquid to use as fish stock in another recipe.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in onion, mustard and paprika.  Cook 2 minutes or until onion has softened.  Sprinkle with flour.  Stir until absorbed.  Slide pan off heat.  Add cool stock in several batches, stirring until smooth before adding more.  Return to heat.

Add potatoes.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally or until potatoes are tender.  Add corn and simmer 5 minutes or until hot.  Taste and add salt as needed.  Stir in milk and green onions.  Heat until very hot, but do not boil.  Ladle into warmed soup bowls and top with sliced lobster.  Garnish with black pepper.

Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as a starter.

Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder

An outstanding chowder!

2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onions
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup chopped celery
3 carrots, chopped
1 tsp salt
Freshly Ground Pepper
1 lb Haddock fillets
2 cups whole milk
1/3 cup all purpose flour
5 o can clams, undrained
1/4 lb cooked small shrimp or lobster meat

In large saucepan, melt butter; add onions and cook over low heat until softened.  Stir in chicken stock, celery, carrots, salt and pepper to taste.  Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Add fillets.  Cover and cook for 5 minutes longer.  The chowder may be prepared ahead to this point and frozen.

Stir about 1/2 the milk into the flour to make a smooth mixture.  Gradually stir mixture into soup; stir in remaining milk.  Simmer until soup thickens slightly.  Just before serving, stir in clams and shrimp; heat through.  Makes 6 servings.  Great as a main course with crusty rolls and a green salad.