SHELLFISH CHOWDER

This is my adaptation of a recipe that I found on my favorite recipe site Epicurious.com. The first time that I made it, I used the packaged lump crabmeat from the seafood counter at the grocery store. Everything was looking and smelling so good until I added that lump crabmeat and turned the whole pot into dirt. It completely ruined it and we ended up at McDonalds at 9pm!! So, this last time that I made it, I bought everything from Central Market and it was amazing!!! Yes, their seafood is more expensive but so worth it!! This dish is a little pricey but, you don't need a lot of each shellfish and this recipe will serve 6-8 people.

1/2 pound bacon, chopped
2 potatoes, 1/4" dice (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 cup onion, diced
2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced.
16 ounces bottled clam juice
3 cups milk
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup flour
2-3 cups chicken broth
1 /2 - 1 teaspoon cayenne (to taste)
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and cut into 1/2" pieces
1/2 pound bay scallops
1 lobster tail or 1/2 pound lump crab meat
1/2 pound fresh clams
fresh cilantro
chives, chopped

Cook bacon in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.

In same pan with bacon grease, add potatoes and cook over medium low heat until potatoes begin to brown. Add onion and poblanos and cook until they begin to soften. Add clam juice. Simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender and most of liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes. Stir in milk and cayenne and 2 cups broth and return to a simmer.

In separate pan, make roux: melt butter over medium low heat and add flour. Cook, stirring constantly until bubbly and begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Return milk mixture to a low boil and add roux to milk mixture, whisking until mixture begins to thicken. If not thick enough, make more roux and add one tablespoon at a time, whisking, returning mixture to a boil after each addition until desired thickness is achieved. If too thick, add more broth. (unfortunately, I did this part without measuring so I am unsure how much roux I used.... next time I'll pay better attention and adjust the recipe!)

Once desired consistency is achieved, add shrimp and scallops and simmer, stirring occasionally, until shellfish is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Stir in lobster and simmer 1 minute. Stir in clams and cook 1 minute more. Spoon into bowls, top with bacon, chives and cilantro and serve with crusty french bread, if desired.