Title : Comfort Food on a Winter's Evening. . .
link : Comfort Food on a Winter's Evening. . .
Comfort Food on a Winter's Evening. . .
Anyone for oyster chowder? I've been trying to finish my post about my Edinburgh trip, but it wants to take its time, and what with Christmas preparations and a festive event or two (an elementary school concert -- such a treat!), that's at a premium.
And I had such a craving for oyster chowder the other day -- when I happened to have two loaves of sourdough fresh out of the oven -- that I thought perhaps that might strike you as well. If you're not a fan of oysters, this is easily modified to become a seafood chowder (canned or fresh clams, shrimp, fish fillets cut into bite-sized pieces). In fact, it's more suggestion/process than an actual recipe -- if you'd like something more precise, Leslie at Bungalow Hostess posted her clam chowder recipe on Instagram here (when you get to that post, you'll need to swipe left).
Okay, here goes:
Melt 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter and add
1 large chopped onion
chopped celery -- 2 or 3 stalks OR chopped fennel bulb
1 large carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped/diced
(If I'd had one in the fridge, I might have added a sweet pepper, either green or red)
Add salt (a good pinch?)
Keeping the heat at low-medium, and checking/stirring occasionally (you don't want anything to brown), let the vegetables "sweat" for five to ten minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add thyme to taste (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon works for us) roughly as much flour as the measure of butter you began with -- if 2 tablespoons butter, sprinkle two tbsps. flour over the vegetables, and stir it in so it's smooth, give it a minute or so to cook before adding in (You could skip this step, not bother adding flour, but I like the thickening, velvety effect it has on the broth
--a cup or so of white wine -- if you have it leftover from an earlier meal OR if you are opening a bottle to drink with your chowder later. The chowder will be good without any wine, but it deepens the flavour if you have it.
Next I add
-- a bottle or can of clam juice (250 ml or 8 ounces) -- again, if you don't have this, don't worry about it, but it does make the flavour more complex
-- chicken stock -- I added about 250 ml/1 cup, but add more if you don't add white wine or clam juice
Add a bay leaf, if you have one. . .
Stir gently as this mixture heats and thickens -- when it reaches boiling point, turn down and keep at a gentle simmer until the vegetables are tender, if they weren't already from the "sweat.
Add 2 cups of milk (I use 2%, and we find that rich enough, but you could use full-fat, even add a portion of cream for a more luxurious version) -- adding a small amount of the hot liquid to your milk to temper it will help prevent curdling
And the
Oysters -- 16 ounces/500 millilitres (2 cups/1/2 litre) fresh, raw oysters in their juice. . .
Gently bring milk and oysters just barely to boiling point and simmer until oysters are cooked through.
Season to preference with salt and pepper
Serve with crusty white bread and a glass of the chilled wine . . .
This makes enough to serve two couples, for an easy entertaining evening -- you bump into old friends while Christmas shopping and invite them over for a simple, satisfying dinner. . .
Or just you, for an elegant solo meal with several delicious lunches over the next few days. When I reheat it, I bring it gently to just below boiling in a saucepan -- the oysters suffer from microwaving, imho, or from too many seconds at the boil.
Let me know if you try this and/or if you have a version of your own and have suggestions for tweaks I could make in mine.
Or share any simple comfort food you enjoy making during these shorter days. . . Or tell me whether you have recipes like this, that change every time you make them, or do you prefer the precision of a cookbook.. .
Off to a bookstore this morning, a new favourite for me, an independent small store sure to be crowded with other likeminded souls intent on choosing the perfect book-gifts.
And I had such a craving for oyster chowder the other day -- when I happened to have two loaves of sourdough fresh out of the oven -- that I thought perhaps that might strike you as well. If you're not a fan of oysters, this is easily modified to become a seafood chowder (canned or fresh clams, shrimp, fish fillets cut into bite-sized pieces). In fact, it's more suggestion/process than an actual recipe -- if you'd like something more precise, Leslie at Bungalow Hostess posted her clam chowder recipe on Instagram here (when you get to that post, you'll need to swipe left).
Okay, here goes:
Melt 2 or 3 tablespoons of butter and add
1 large chopped onion
chopped celery -- 2 or 3 stalks OR chopped fennel bulb
1 large carrot, chopped
2 medium potatoes, chopped/diced
(If I'd had one in the fridge, I might have added a sweet pepper, either green or red)
Add salt (a good pinch?)
Keeping the heat at low-medium, and checking/stirring occasionally (you don't want anything to brown), let the vegetables "sweat" for five to ten minutes until the onions are translucent.
Add thyme to taste (1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon works for us) roughly as much flour as the measure of butter you began with -- if 2 tablespoons butter, sprinkle two tbsps. flour over the vegetables, and stir it in so it's smooth, give it a minute or so to cook before adding in (You could skip this step, not bother adding flour, but I like the thickening, velvety effect it has on the broth
--a cup or so of white wine -- if you have it leftover from an earlier meal OR if you are opening a bottle to drink with your chowder later. The chowder will be good without any wine, but it deepens the flavour if you have it.
Next I add
-- a bottle or can of clam juice (250 ml or 8 ounces) -- again, if you don't have this, don't worry about it, but it does make the flavour more complex
-- chicken stock -- I added about 250 ml/1 cup, but add more if you don't add white wine or clam juice
Add a bay leaf, if you have one. . .
Stir gently as this mixture heats and thickens -- when it reaches boiling point, turn down and keep at a gentle simmer until the vegetables are tender, if they weren't already from the "sweat.
Add 2 cups of milk (I use 2%, and we find that rich enough, but you could use full-fat, even add a portion of cream for a more luxurious version) -- adding a small amount of the hot liquid to your milk to temper it will help prevent curdling
And the
Oysters -- 16 ounces/500 millilitres (2 cups/1/2 litre) fresh, raw oysters in their juice. . .
Gently bring milk and oysters just barely to boiling point and simmer until oysters are cooked through.
Season to preference with salt and pepper
Serve with crusty white bread and a glass of the chilled wine . . .
This makes enough to serve two couples, for an easy entertaining evening -- you bump into old friends while Christmas shopping and invite them over for a simple, satisfying dinner. . .
Or just you, for an elegant solo meal with several delicious lunches over the next few days. When I reheat it, I bring it gently to just below boiling in a saucepan -- the oysters suffer from microwaving, imho, or from too many seconds at the boil.
Let me know if you try this and/or if you have a version of your own and have suggestions for tweaks I could make in mine.
Or share any simple comfort food you enjoy making during these shorter days. . . Or tell me whether you have recipes like this, that change every time you make them, or do you prefer the precision of a cookbook.. .
Off to a bookstore this morning, a new favourite for me, an independent small store sure to be crowded with other likeminded souls intent on choosing the perfect book-gifts.
Thus articles Comfort Food on a Winter's Evening. . .
that is all articles Comfort Food on a Winter's Evening. . . This time, hopefully can provide benefits to you all. Okay, see you in another article post.
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