Seafood Chowder

We've been having a lot of rain this week, real Fall weather.  So it seemed  like a good time to make a batch of seafood chowder.  If you know me, a "batch" isn't a small pot, perfect for the two of us for a meal.  It means a large stock pot, maybe even overflow, perfect for sayyyyyy 10-12 people!  I never learned to cook small, even after the kids left, so if you're ever in the area, don't be shy about stopping over for dinner!

I'm not one of those food bloggers that take beautiful step-by-step pictures as they're making their food item. I wish I was, but the lighting in my kitchen is not good and there's always shadows on the item.  The other reason I don't make a good food blogger is because I forget to take pictures along the way.

I started out with this picture of celery picked from my garden.  I love it!  

Then I skipped a couple steps and now you see the bacon frying. 

What you don't see is the celery, onion, and garlic sauteing.  Next I've added flour for thickening, water, and chicken bouillon to season, and cook until thick. 

Here the potatoes are diced (in large chunks), ready to add to the mixture. 

Oh, where does the "seafood" come in?  I added some halibut to it after the potatoes were done and let it cook another 15 minutes.  The very last step was adding some milk. 

Imagine.... 30 minutes later and you've ladled this wonderful chowder into your bowl.  Add a dollop of butter, some salt and pepper, and you've got one of the best meals ever. 

This chowder is so versatile.  Depending on the mood, I'll add salmon some times.  Other times I'll add it all--halibut, crab, shrimp and scallops.  But it's a great potato chowder all on its own. 

Here's the recipe: 

That's the recipe I use as a reference and if you wanted to make a smaller serving.   To serve 10-12, go by this list:  

1 pound of bacon

1 whole onion

8 cloves garlic

handful of celery stalks

1 cup plus flour

12 cups water

8-12 chicken bouillon

5 pounds potatoes

whatever fish or seafood I have

2-3 cup whole milk

Enjoy!  Nancy