Seafood Chowder

Tucked away in Central Parade, Fife Lane is a stylish haven for food and wine lovers.  Excellent quality New Zealand steak and seafood are the menu stars but here's Fife Lane’s warming chowder for you to sit down by the fire and enjoy.

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Serves 4–6

50g butter

1 small onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 stick celery, finely diced

50g plain flour

500ml seafood stock (see recipe below or use store bought)

150g fish*, cut into 3–4cm chunks

1kg mussels*, scrubbed and cleaned

100ml cream

Chopped parsley, to garnish

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Melt butter in large pot over medium-low heat, add onion, garlic and celery, and cook until onion
has softened. To make a roux, add flour and stir until it makes a paste and starts to bubble.
Slowly add stock, while still stirring, to achieve a smooth chowder consistency.

Just before serving, stir through your choice of seafood (you don’t want it to overcook), cream,
then season with salt and pepper. Serve in a preheated bowl with a sprinkling of parsley, and
crusty ciabatta or Turkish bread on the side.

* Use any seafood you fancy — clams, scallops and prawns are also good, but you can just
use fish, if you prefer. You could add smoked fish, too.

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Seafood Stock

You can buy seafood stock, but to get the best results, make it from scratch. Use whatever you
have on hand, but here’s a general recipe: Place fish frames (or mussels other seafood) in a large
pot with chopped carrots, onion and celery, and 3–4 dried bay leaves and peppercorns. Cover
with cold water and gently simmer for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 1 hour, then sieve.

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Recipe by Fife Lane