Such a great winter warmer, real comfort food. With a warm buttered bread roll on the side...heaven!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

A couple of rindless bacon rashers diced

1 onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 celery stalk, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1 large potato, peeled, finely diced

2 Tbsps plain flour (use a bit more if you like a thicker chowder)

1.5 L stock (vegetable, chicken or fish)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried or 1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves

500g firm skinless fish fillets / prawns / mussels 

1/4 cup cream (optional)

Fresh bread, Dill and Chives to serve

Instructions:

Heat oil & butter in heavy based saucepan

Add onion, garlic, celery & bacon and cook for 3 minutes

Add carrot and potato and cook for 5 minutes

Add flour and cook for 1 minute

Add stock, thyme, bay leaf and gently simmer for 25 minutes

Add cream & seafood and simmer for 5 minutes until they are cooked through

Serve with cracked pepper, dill and chives on top and warm bread on the side. Yum!

Note: I like EVERYTHING with some spice, so I add cajun spice mix in with the onion at the start