Seafood Chowder

From Lyndey Milan’s Taste of Ireland: episode 6, The Burren and Galway
Cooked with ingredients from Morans at the Weir but without their precious 7th generation recipe but with their beautiful ingredients. Apparently I got close!

Servings: 4 as a main course, 6 as an entree
Preparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time:20 minutes

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon (20g) butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 stick celery, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons plain flour
1 litre (4 cups) fish or seafood stock (or stock and water)
1 large (300g) potato, finely chopped
180g salmon, skinless, chopped
150g halibut or other firm white fish, skinless, chopped
120g smoked haddock, skinless, chopped
Juice ½ a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
6 clams (optional)
6 mussels (optional)
6 oysters (optional) shucked and removed from shell
6 teaspoons cream, to serve
Finely chopped parsley, to serve

1. Place a deep pot or saucepan over medium heat. Melt butter and when foaming add onion, carrot and celery. Mix well. After a minute or two add garlic. Sweat until softened but not brown.
2. Scatter flour over vegetables and mix well. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly. Add stock and stir constantly until mixture boils. Add potatoes, return to the boil then lower heat to a simmer. Cook for around 10 minutes or until potatoes are very soft. Whisk to encourage potatoes to break up and thicken the soup.
3. Add fish to the pot and mix well. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Add salt and/or pepper if necessary. Add clams and mussels and cook for a couple of minutes or until open.
4. Ladle into bowls. Top with a fresh oyster, a swirl of cream and a sprinkling of parsley. Serve with crusty bread.