Saffron-Rice Seafood Chowder

Friday, February 4th, 2011 | posted by wendy

This might be a great recipe to have for your superbowl party Yield, 1 gallon.

  • 2 T butter
  • 2 c chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • 1 t thyme
  • 2.5 quarts of stock (we carry frozen homemade fish stock at the market)
  • 1 can (15 oz.) diced tomatoes (drained)
  • pinch saffron
  • 1/2 c long grain rice
  • 1.5 lbs. seafood and fish (diced 1 inch)
  • 1/2 pint half and half
  • salt & pepper to taste

(Roux: 2 T butter and 1 T flour, cooked in a skillet to make a thick paste)

Melt 2 T butter in heavy soup pot. Add onions, garlic and thyme and sauté until translucent. Add stock, tomatoes, saffron and rice. Bring to boil and cook until rice is al dente.

Meanwhile, make roux in separate sauce pan. Melt butter and add enough flour to make thick paste but still smooth and creamy. Cook roux for 6 minutes, stirring often.

Add roux to boiling soup slowly. Stir well, turn down to simmer nad cook 8 minutes. Add seafood and simmer for 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Add half and half and stir well. Season to taste and serve.

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Get Your Soup On!

Friday, February 4th, 2011 | posted by Monahan's

As this wonderful Michigan weather puts a chill in our bones, there’s nothing like warmin’ up to a hot bowl of chowder. And what’s a fish market without chowder? It’s part of our history and all the credit goes to the people who brought us this hearty dish—the fishermen.

Dating back to around the early 1700s, some say that chowder most likely originated at sea. There were early European references made in England and France. Fishermen fishing the waters of the English channel would place a large pot or caldron (chaudiere in French) over a fire to cook all day. They used ingredients at hand: salt pork, vegetables, milk and fish as it became available. They added hardtack or ship biscuits to help thicken it. After a hard day of work, the pot of “jowter” (English) or “chaudiere” (French) became the meal of the day.

Chowder certainly has evolved since those days and one thing’s for sure—it now enjoys universal appeal. It’s popular all over the world, spanning many regions and culinary circles and utilizing many diverse ingredients. Chowder has become uber-popular at Monahan’s throughout the entire year. We have quite a few loyal fans and chowderheads.

I have been cooking chowder/soup for years. From cooking Maude’s (blast from the past) famous soups in Big Bertha (their 50-gallon soup kettle) to here at Monahan’s. I’ve always enjoyed it—it keeps my knife skills honed and I love seeing it all come together and enjoyed by some many of our customers.

Authentic chowders had salt pork, potatoes, onion, water, fish or seafood and were more than a soup, bearing a closer resemblance to stew. To me, there are no rules, it’s all right. Jasper White says “the essence of chowder is making something great out of what is immediately available.”

Chowders are usually pretty easy in preparation, a little choppin’, nothing fancy, and just keeping an eye on the pot. Chowder is great to start a meal and it’s even better AS the meal. It’ perfect for large gatherings and is truly best when made ahead, giving you more time to enjoy your company. Chowder is a wonderful one-pot-dish, it’s great comfort food and the varieties are endless. So jump in the “chowdah” pool, grab your caldron and get your soup on!

Here’s my recipe for Saffron-Rice Seafood Chowder.

—Bernie Fritzsch

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The Beauty (& Simplicity) of a One-Pot dish: Bouillabaisse!

Monday, March 1st, 2010 | posted by mike

It’s the perfect time of year to steam up your kitchens and warm up your hearts—invite the gang over and celebrate! With the addition of a fresh baguette and a green salad, bouillabaisse is the perfect dish to share among friends. And it’s fun (and EASY) to prepare, especially with a little help from Monahan’s!

Time Savings & Simplicity…
Traditionally, the only time-consuming part of this recipe is making the actual tomato-based stock. We’ve included the recipe for that in our recipe archive, but you may want to try Chef Bernie’s wonderful Bouillabaisse-base, which we stock in our freezer at the market. He’s already done all the work for you—and the result is a delicate, garlic-y, tomato broth scented with saffron, orange and fennel. Just heat it up and add your fish and shellfish—an elegant dinner will be served in a matter of minutes!

Bernie makes both the bouillabaisse-base as well as our delicious homemade fish stock weekly, fresh from the bones and heads of the fish we fillet at the market every day. (We’re also happy to take orders for fish bones and heads if you want to make your own stock, but best to call ahead to check availability).

Ideas for Cost Savings…
Bouillabaisse is a pretty flexible dish to make, and it can either be brimming with shellfish (scallops, lobsters, shrimp, clams, mussels and fish,) or you can keep it simple with just a few items. If you decide to go for the deluxe version with a lot of ingredients and variety, try asking all your friends to bring an ingredient (we’ve done this with Paella parties too). Not only does it invest everyone into coming together over a great meal, it brings a particular camaraderie to the proceedings, as each guest shows up with their offerings.

Serve with a green salad, toasted slices of baguette and aioli.

Click here for our version of the wonderful catch of the day stew from Marseille.

 

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