Manila clam chowder

By David Hawksworth

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Ingredients

120 grams (1 cup) peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes
120 grams (1 cup) diced carrots
60 grams (1/2 cup) shelled and peeled fava beans
100 grams (2/3 cup) corn kernels
100 grams (1/2 cup) bacon lardons, chopped into 2 × 0.5cm (3/4 × 1/4 inch) pieces
20 Manila clams (see Note on page 112)
400 grams (14 ounces) smoked sablefish, in 30 grams (1 ounce) portions
15 grams (1/4 cup) sea asparagus
1 recipe Tomato Concassé (page 312)

Heat the oil in a rondeau pan (or saute pan or Dutch oven) over medium heat, and sweat the mushrooms, shallots, garlic and thyme until transluscent with very little to no colour, four to five minutes.
Add the wine and vermouth and reduce until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the fish stock and reduce again by half. Add the cream, bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a medium simmer. Allow to reduce for 20 more minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve. Add the lemon juice and season to taste with salt.

Bring two small pots of salted water to a boil. Cook the potatoes in one pot just until tender, three to five minutes. Cook the carrots in the other just until tender, about five minutes. Drain. Blanch the fava beans and corn kernels for one minute then dunk in an ice bath.
In a medium saute pan over medium heat, fry the bacon lardons until crispy, stirring occasionally, about three minutes. Transfer to paper towel and soak up excess oil.
Bring the chowder base to a boil in a rondeau (or saute pan or Dutch oven). Add the clams and sablefish but do not overcrowd, cook in two batches if necessary. Simmer over medium heat for three minutes. Discard any clams that remain closed.
Add the potatoes, carrots, sea asparagus, fava beans, and bacon, and slowly simmer for another minute, then add the tomato concasse.
Divide the chowder between six bowls and garnish with chives and a drizzle of olive oil.