A Recipe out of Left-Field

Shiver me splinters, the "New York Times" ran this splendid recipe for Ted Williams’s Fenway Chowder in their Dining Section on Wednesday.  Next week look for Wrecks Ryan's recipe for humble pie.

Adapted from “One Big Table” by Molly O’Neill (Simon & Schuster)

Time: 30 minutes

3 tablespoons bacon fat, lard or vegetable oil
1 small onion, minced
1 large shallot, minced
1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons dried garlic flakes
8 ounces skinless fillets of grouper, red snapper or a combination, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pint chopped shucked clams (or use half clams and half bay scallops), drained, juices reserved
4 cups whole milk
2 cups half-and-half
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 pound mussels in the shell, scrubbed and debearded
1 dozen (about 8 ounces) chopped shucked oysters, with their juice
2 small white potatoes, peeled and diced small
1/2 cup fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and black pepper.

1. In a large heavy pot, heat fat over medium heat. Add onion, shallot and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add seasoned salt, Old Bay, thyme and garlic flakes and cook about 1 minute, until aromatic. Add fish and clams and cook, stirring, 3 minutes, until fish is just opaque.

2. Add milk, half-and-half, sherry and reserved clam juices and bring to a simmer. Add mussels, oysters with their juices, potatoes and corn, and simmer very gently until mussels open and potatoes are tender, 5 to 8 minutes. If desired, remove mussels from shell and return to the soup.

3. Stir in lemon juice and cream. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.