Warm Winter Fish Chowder

This is a fish chowder I cooked up on a coldish rainy day in February. All foods were local and in season except for the tomato sauce I made last summer and froze. It's a not too creamy but well blended group of flavors and had a beautiful pinkish tinge from the cream and tomato sauce together. The Brussels sprouts were a bit of a risk but I used them in lieu of something sweet like corn. I think they worked well.  Here's how it went:


Serves 4-6 as main course.

Ingredients:

3 thick slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped small
2/3 of a head of garlic, minced
1 med carrot, chopped small
1 pt. Brussels sprouts, chunky chopped into 4-6 pieces each
2 large Yukon potatoes, peeled and 1/2 in. diced
1 small fillet flounder
1 med. fillet monk fish
4 large dry scallops
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 T butter
salt and pepper
Cajun season mix
2 T olive oil
1/2 bunch parsley

Directions

1. In a large soup pot, slow cook bacon slices whole, rending as much fat out as possible.
2. While bacon is cooking (maybe 20 min, turned occasionally), prep veggies--onions, carrot, garlic, potatoes, sprouts.
3. Remove bacon from pan and reserve. Add chopped onions and carrots on high heat. Soften, then turn to low heat, add, garlic, mix through, and let caramelize for maybe 5-10 minutes.
4. While veggies caramelize, first prep parsley by rough chopping enough leaves to garnish soup--3-4 T. Then fine chop the rest, stems and all. 
5.  Prep fish by cutting into bite-size pieces--about 1 in. chunks. I cut scallops into eighths. Put in a bowl. Add 2T olive oil, 1 T Cajun season, 1/4 t salt, and fine chopped parsley. Stir in gently with rubber spatula and let sit.
6. After  veggies caramelized a while, push to sides of pot. Turn heat to high, and add sprouts to center of pot. Let sit for 3-4 minutes, then mix it and continue on high heat. 
7. After about 4 min., stirring frequently, add the tomato sauce. Heat through. 
8. Add the diced potatoes and then add enough boiling water to cover them well--probably 3-5 cups. Bring to boil, then let simmer until potatoes are soft.
9. Add fish and more water if needed to cover well. Bring to boil and simmer for 2-3 minutes or until fish tastes well done.
10. While fish is simmering, dice the three pieces of bacon for garnish.
11. Add cream and mile a bit at a time, stirring with rubber spatula. Add the butter and stir in.
12. Adjust for salt and a generous about of fresh ground black pepper.
13. Ladle into wide bowls and garnish first with bacon and then parsley.

We ate this simply with some oil crackers and a mixed green salad with Balsamic vinaigrette.  Very warming, tasty, and satisfying.