CHOWDER WITH WHITE FISH, PANCETTA AND MUSSELS
Ingredients
1 large onion peeled and finely diced
1 clove of garlic
80 grams Farro flat pancetta chopped roughly
30 grams Butter
2 tablespoons Plain Flour
1/2 teaspoon La Chinata smoky paprika
500mL Milk
1 large agria potato peeled and diced
200mL Cream
1 small bunch of thyme picked from stalk
1 bay leaf
Ground black pepper
500 grams skinless tarakihi chopped into chunks
12 mussels cleaned of beards
to serve:
1 Wild Wheat Ciabatta
Method
Cook the mussels first. Place the mussels in a medium-sized pot with 300 millilitres of water and place on a high heat, covered. Steam the mussels open for 3-4 minutes. Strain them, reserving the cooking liquid, then shell and chop the meat. Discard any mussels that do not open. In the same medium-size pot, place the onion, garlic, pancetta and butter and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes until lightly colored and onions are soft. Add flour and paprika and cook for a further 5 minutes
Add the milk, then the mussel cooking liquid a little at a time, using a whisk to avoid lumps
Once the liquids are incorporated well, bring to the boil and add the diced potatoes, cream, thyme, bay leaf and a good grind of black pepper then gently simmer for 10 minutes
Carefully add the fish and mussels and gently simmer, stirring occasionally. When the fish is almost cooked (about 5 minutes), remove from the heat and serve with parsley and fresh bread