Seafood Chowder:

 

Start by chopping up a leek into 2mm thick slices, then chop again down grain into quarters.

 

Same with a spanish onion.

 

Chop 2 large cloves of garlic.

 

Mix in a bowl and reserve.

 

Cut into small peices three rashers of bacon.

 

Bring about 2 doz fesh mussels in shell to the boil in about 500ml of water.  Once boiling strain off the liquid and reserve in a bowl. That's your stock.

 

Shell and de-beard the mussels, then chop into thin (3mm) slices and reserve.

 

Pull into small peices a 300gm or so peice of smoked fish - I prefer trevally - and put in a small bowl.

 

Prepare another bowl with raw prawn meet; some scallops (say 18) cut in half; 500g of fresh fish into 3cm cubes (snapper is good, so is flounder trevor, terakihi).

 

Start now by heating a heavy bottom large pot to a medium temp and place in a large dollop of butter.  Get bubbling gently and place in bacon for a few minutes then the leeks, onion and garlic.  Stir while it all softens for ten minutes, turning down the heat until its just simmering away.

 

Make a hole in the pile of veges and place another large dollop of butter in there.  Be generous.  Once melted sprinkle in 2 tablespoons of flour and stir it all in.

 

Now start pooring in your stock and stirring until you have  a nice thick chowder consistency.  Add heaps of ground black pepper.  Taste and season again as required.  Add the smoked fish.

 

Make sure the heat is as low as you can have it - just simmering and no more.  Do not boil.

 

Another 10 minutes should be spent stirring mix.  Now add ethe fresh scollops, prawn meat and fresh fish.  Stir in.  Let cook while stirring for 5 minutes more.  Add two tablespoons of chipped fresh dill and finish dish with addition of 200ml of fresh cream poored into and stirred.

 

Let come to simmer again and serve in large bowls with french bread and butter.

 

Should serve 5 or six with huge servings.

 

It's good, promise.