Seafood Chowder with Squash

Ingredients

• •1 tablespoon olive oil
• •½ small white onion
• •½ whole leek
• •1 whole shallot
• •1 clove garlic
• •1 tablespoon ginger
• •2 cups winter squash
• •1 whole carrot
• •½ teaspoon mild curry powder
• •1 to taste Salt
• •1 each lemongrass stalk and bay leaf
• •¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk
• •3½ cups Vegetable Broth
• •1 tablespoon olive oil
• •1 whole shallot
• •1 clove garlic
• •½ cup white wine
• •1 pound mussels
• •1 cup winter squash
• •1 cup potatoes
• •8 whole baby turnips
• •8 whole baby radishes
• •½ pound medium shrimp
• •½ pound black sea bass
• •1 whole ají dulce pepper
• •1 to taste Salt and pepper
• •1 to taste Extra-virgin olive oil
• •2 tablespoons red onion
• •1 tablespoon chives
• •1 to taste Aleppo pepper

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Make the chowder base. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add the leek, shallot, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is softened, about 6 minutes. Add the squash, carrot, and curry powder, season with salt, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes.

   15 min

2. 2.

   Raise the heat to medium-high, add the lemongrass, bay leaf, coconut milk, and broth, and bring to a simmer. Cook the chowder base until the squash and carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.

   30 min

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, make the mussels. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a boil. Add the mussels, cover the pot, and steam them until they just open wide, 3 to 4 minutes.

   10 min

4. 4.

   Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a medium bowl. Remove the mussels from the shells; discard the shells and any mussels that haven't opened. Strain the broth into a small bowl.

   5 min

5. 5.

   Once the squash is tender, discard the lemongrass and bay leaf. Process the chowder base in a blender until very smooth and creamy, then pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pot.

   10 min

6. 6.

   Bring the chowder base to a simmer, then add the raw diced squash, potatoes, and turnips and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Add the radishes, shrimp, and sea bass and simmer for about 3 minutes. Stir in the mussels and red pepper. The soup's consistency should be thinner than traditional chowder-add a splash of the reserved mussel liquid, if needed. Season with a touch of salt and pepper. Serve the chowder in bowls, topped with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, the red onion, chives, and Aleppo pepper.

   15 min