Love the look - New Year's Eve

Big plans for New Year's Eve?? I'm going to lay low this year with my kids, Matty and hopefully a few others! I won't dress up too much but I'll wear something a bit festive. Here is a great outfit for a night in with friends, a toast of bubbly and yummy food! All links below...

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I may also take the time to make a seafood or clam chowder for either New Year's Eve or for this weekend when we head up to Vermont!

This seafood chowder looks delicious. via this site.

seafood chowder 2.0

. . .

Seafood Chowder 2.0

recipe: inspired by Rose Dyer and Jackie Huskins

This chowder is very much like Beaucoup Seafood Chowder, but better, because I added a little of 2.0 and his family. (Not to be taken literally.)

• 3/4 cup butter, divided (divide into: 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup)
• 2 medium onions, diced
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 2 stalks of celery, diced
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 cups (approximately) sodium reduced chicken broth
• 1 lb. cooked lobster, chopped into bite sized pieces – fresh or frozen
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon oregano
• 1 tablespoon celery salt
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• three dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1/2 lb. haddock*
• 1/2 lb. cod*
• 1/2 lb. scallops – fresh or frozen, no need to defrost
• 1 litre light cream (5% milk fat)
• 1 cup heavy cream (35% milk fat)

* you could use just haddock or cod if you don’t want to use both – use a pound of whichever you choose

In a large Dutch oven, melt 1/2 cup butter and then sauté the onions, carrots and celery over medium heat – allowing them to soften a little – about 5 minutes. Add the potato and add only enough chicken broth to barely cover (about 3 cups). Stir to combine and then cook until the potato is just barely tender (8-10 minutes).

As the potato is cooking, melt the remaining 1/4 cup of butter in a skillet over medium heat and then add the lobster pieces to the skillet. Cook the lobster until the butter has taken on an orangey-red colour from the lobster, and the lobster has heated through. About 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add the basil, oregano, celery salt, paprika, pepper and Tabasco sauce to the vegetables in the Dutch oven and stir to combine. It will seem like a lot of spices, don’t worry. Layer the haddock, cod and scallops on top. Gently press the fish down so it is just covered with liquid. Cook only until fish barely flakes (4-5 minutes).

Add the lobster and every last drop of butter from the skillet to the Dutch oven. Reduce the heat to low. Add the heavy cream and the light cream. If you think you’re going to run out of room in the pot, skimp on the light cream, not the heavy.

Allow the chowder to warm through. Keep on low heat until serving or refrigerate and slowly heat up before serving. Don’t allow to boil.

Notes: I find chowder is best on the second day, so when entertaining, make it the day before – it will save you time and stress on the day as well.

After refrigeration, I put the pot on low and allow 30 minutes it to heat through. Do not allow the chowder to boil – low heat is key.

You will notice that the spices seem to sit on top of the chowder, like an oil slick. Don’t worry – when you serve, give a little stir and then scoop – just the right amount of spice will come up with the ladle.