Bringing fish chowder home

With fairly firm fish and no flour, food’s fresh ingredients shine

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On a delightful, recent visit to Massachusetts, I was charmed by the idyllic setting of an Old World hotel on Nantucket. Sitting on the patio looking out over the white, sandy beach toward the blue of Nantucket Bay, I tasted one of the best fish chowders I’ve had in a long time. Fresh fish is paramount, along with a hint of smoky ham and cream.

Try to choose a fairly firm fish such as dolphin or grouper. Cod is used in New England. The chowder is made without flour, allowing the fresh ingredients to shine.

New England cooks use Quahog clams, meaty, hard-shelled clams about 3 inches in diameter. However, any clam, littleneck or cherrystone, will work in this chowder.

Complement the Nantucket Fish Chowder with Fresh Tomato and Corn Salad.

Nantucket Fish Chowder

Olive oil spray

2 ounces smoked, low-fat ham, cut into cubes

1/2 medium red onion, sliced (1 cup)

1 celery stalk, sliced ( 1/2 cup)

3/4 pound russet or Idaho potatoes (1 1/2 cup 1/3 cubed)

1 cup bottled clam juice

2 cups water

6 ounces cod, dolphin or grouper

8 clams

2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried

2 teaspoons fresh tarragon or 1 teaspoon dried

2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Heat a medium-size nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat and spray with olive oil spray. Add ham, onion and celery. Saute 5 minutes. Meanwhile, wash the potatoes, do not peel, and cut intoz-inch cubes. Add to saucepan with clam juice and water. Raise heat to high, cover and boil 10 minutes.

While potatoes cook, rinse fish, pat dry and cut into 1z-to-2-inch pieces. Scrub clams. Reduce heat to medium and add fish, clams, thyme and tarragon. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes. The clams should be open; discard any clams that aren’t. Remove from heat and add cream, salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with parsley if desired. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 352 calories (24 percent from fat), 9.4 g fat ( 4.2 g saturated, 3.0 g mono-unsaturated), 108mgcholesterol, 30.6 g protein, 37.2 g carbohydrates, 5.1 g fiber, 1003mgsodium.

Helpful hints:

• To wash clams, scrub shells under cold running water. Tap any clams that are open on the counter. If they do not close, discard them. Also discard any clams that do not open when cooked.

Countdown:

• Wash clams.

• Make chowder.

• Make salad. Wine suggestion: Some say chowder, being basically soup, doesn’t need wine. Do I say this? Not on your life. With this savory, creamy but not-too-heavy dish, I would serve a nice, fat California or Australian Semillon.

Tomato and Corn Salad

2 medium tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup frozen corn kernels

1/4 cup low-fat vinaigrette

Slice tomatoes and place on individual plates. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Defrost corn (1 minute in microwave oven on high or 1 minute in boiling water) and toss with vinaigrette dressing. Spoon over the tomatoes. Makes 2 servings.

Per serving: 120 calories (24 percent from fat), 3.2 g fat (0.3 g saturated, 1.0 g mono-unsaturated), 2mgcholesterol, 4.2 g protein, 23.1g carbohydrates, 4.3 g fiber, 431mgsodium.

Shopping list

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for this menu:

To buy: 2 medium tomatoes, bpoun 2/3 russet or Idaho potatoes, a small bunch fresh thyme or 1 bottle dried, 1 small bunch fresh tarragon or 1 bottle dried, 1 red onion, 1 bunch parsley (optional), 6 ounces cod (dolphin, grouper), 8 clams, 2 ounces smoked low-fat ham, 1 small carton heavy whipping cream, 1 small package frozen corn, 1 bottle low-fat vinaigrette dressing and 1 bottle clam juice.

Staples: Celery, olive oil spray, salt and black peppercorns.

This meal contains 472 calories with 24 percent of calories from fat.

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