Bermuda Fish Chowder

This is a really easy fish chowder that's a flavorful alternative to bouillabaisse

I found the recipe from Epicurious.com when I was looking around for ways to use an old hunk of halibut that had been lounging in the freezer too long - I didn't think that a traditional New England fish chowder recipe would mask the taste of a tired fish, and bouillabaise is a too lovely for this piece, which was from a catch of unusually tough halibut we got from Alaska. The preparation wasn't too painful and the chowder had really big, interesting flavor. It was even better for lunch the next day. Here's a copy of the recipe with my modifications:

1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped (I used an ancho chile)
1 leek (white and pale green parts only), chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 medium tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced (I used 4)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
5 cups water (I substituted some Hogue Fume Blanc)
2 1/4 lb mixed white fish fillets such as cod, grouper, tilefish, and snapper, skin and bones removed
1/4 cup tomato paste (used the whole small can, didn't measure)
1 bay leaf (3 Penzey's bay leaves)
1 teaspoon whole allspice, tied in a cheesecloth bag (I added a few more, but be careful, or you end up with chowder that tastes like a fish-flavored hermit cookie)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled (around 1 tablespoon fresh)
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch stirred together with 3 tablespoons water (don't really need it, I omitted it)
12 small hard-shell clams such as littlenecks, scrubbed
1 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 to 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce (I used a bit more)
1/4 cup dark rum, or to taste (believe it or not, I had the Gosling's Bermuda rum that the recipe calls for)
2 tablespoons Sherry pepper sauce (not critical, I didn't bother - I used the ancho chile for extra heat instead of green pepper anyway)

Cook onion, bell pepper, leek, carrots, celery, chopped tomato, and garlic in butter in a 6-quart wide heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in stock and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer briskly, uncovered, 20 minutes.
Stir in fish, tomato paste, bay leaf, cheesecloth bag of allspice, thyme, hot pepper sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer 20 minutes (fish will break up), then restir cornstarch mixture and stir into chowder. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 minutes.

Stir in clams, shrimp, Worcestershire sauce, and rum and gently simmer 30 minutes. Remove from heat and let chowder stand, covered, 1 hour. Gently return to a simmer and stir in Sherry pepper sauce.



Makes 6 to 8 servings (about 12 cups).