Seafood Chowder, Manhattan Style

Ingredients:	Seasoning– some salt, some pepper 4 bay leaves, one large tablespoon of sugar and a small bit of Old Bay Seasoning. Two tablespoons of vegetable oil. The sugar makes a red based liquid sweet and aids thickening. Vegetables Onions-one medium diced Celery-one half cup, chopped Carrots-if you like them-one third cup or less, chopped Potatoes- one or two diced One 6 oz can of tomato paste 2 bottles of clam juice One 32 oz bottle of Clamato Juice. 3 sprigs of parsley 3 springs fresh thyme 1 large tablespoon sugar 3 or 4 bay leaves 1/2 tsp Old Bay 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper Seafood 2 cans of minced clams (or three if you are doing Clam Chowder only) Shrimp, about a dozen, chopped into small bite size pieces 1/2 lb Filet of white fish Even Scallops if desired cut small.
Directions:	First prepare the stock Put all your vegetables in a cooking pan with a little vegetable oil and cook them a little on medium heat until they start to get soft and sweet (about 3 to 5 minutes). You do not want them mushy. They should still have a crunch. Cover if needed to heat. Stir in the tomato paste until mixed well with veggies. Heat for a few minutes. Stir in the clamato juice, clam juice, one tablespoon of sugar, and spices described above and bring everything up to a boil. Reduce heat and let the flavors blend. While this is cooking, start to pan fry the white fish filet (orange roughy, cod or grouper) until it is flaky, then remove from heat and set the fish aside. Open the cans of minced clams .Drain and discard the juice. Put the meat close to the cooked fish. Locate the shrimp, cut it up into bite sized chunks and put it close to the cooked fish. After simmering the stock until the potatoes are soft, (about 15 – 20 minutes) add the seafoods of your choice that you have set aside with another pinch of Old Bay Seasoning and simmer the soup for 5 additional minutes. Do not boil again, it changes the flavor. USE as much or as little seafood of your choice as you wish to meet your desires. It is all GOOD! Serve it hot! add Salt and Pepper to suit your taste.
Notes:	This is a great recipe for those who would like to make seafood soup that is easy and quick. This makes a great tasting red color based seafood chowder that gets better if you refrigerate it and eat it the next day. To make Clam Chowder using this recipe, just add three cans or four of minced clams (draining the juice) at the end of the cooking process. Do not add the other seafood! *Do NOT cook the fish filet in with the stock as it gives it an oily and fishy taste. The fish filet has to be completely cooked pan fried separately and then added at the end to the soup.*

Footer