Lobster And Finnan Haddie Chowder With Vermont Common Crackers

Serves: 2

Fredy Murphy

1 January 1970

Based on User reviews:

63

Spice

49

Sweetness

49

Sourness

42

mins

Prep time (avg)

4.1

Difficulty

Ingredients:

2 tbsps

Whole Black Peppercorns

2 sprigs

Thyme

1

Parsley (chopped, for garnish)

1 medium

Onion (large dice)

1 cup

Celery Leaves

2 cups

Fish Stock

1 cup

Milk

6

Lobsters (1 lb culls with only 1 claw)

1

Salt

1

Ground Black Pepper

1

Cracker (vermont common)

Directions:

1

Place the smoked haddock in a pan a little large than the fish itself

2

Sprinkle with peppercorns, thyme, parsley, the small onion, and celery leaves

3

Pour in the stock

4

Add 1 cup heavy cream and milk

5

Cover pan with aluminum foil and place pan in a 350 degree F oven for 15 minutes or until the fish is barely heated through, turning opaque

6

Remove from oven

7

Let cool

8

Flake the fish into big pieces, making sure there are no bones or whole peppercorns lurking in crevices

9

Blanch 6 (1 pound) culls in boiling salted water for 5 to 6 minutes

10

Refresh in cold water to stop cooking

11

Take meat from the shells leaving big chunks

12

In a 3-quart stainless saucepan, place 4 of the lobster bodies over medium heat with 2 tablespoons butter

13

Saute until barely colored, then add 2 cups heavy cream and simmer slowly until reduced by 1/3

14

Use any of the smoked haddock scraps, bones, etc

15

, when reducing the cream

16

This will give additional flavor to the soup

17

The lobster cream should have a lobster-smoked haddock flavor

18

Add the stock cream from poaching the smoked haddock

19

Strain, you should have approximately 3 to 3 1/2 cups soup base

20

To finish soup, saute 1 medium size onion in 4 tablespoons of butter

21

Add 4 red bliss potatoes cut into chunks leaving skins on

22

Pour over the soup base and simmer until the potatoes are "just done", not overcooked and mushy

23

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper

24

In saute pan over medium heat, saute lobster meat, in big chunks in 2 to 3 tablespoons of butter

25

Add to the soup with the finnan haddie, taste for any additional salt and pepper

26

Adjust the amount of liquid by adding milk or cream

27

Bring just to a boil, heating the fish and lobster through

28

Ladle into hot soup bowls

29

Place a little slice of whole butter to melt on top and plenty of finely chopped parsley for garnish

30

Serve with toasted and buttered split Vermont common Crackers

31

If you can not find the crackers use Old Fashioned Cream Biscuits or hot bread