Seafood Chowder

Preparation time 1 hour. Makes 5 servings.

Ingredients:
Live Littleneck clams
Live Pei mussles
Frozen shrimp
4 cups water
1 T Canola oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1/2 C cream sherry or white wine, optional
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 large potatoes, chopped small
Fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
Spinach, finely chopped
1 T chicken bouillon
1 t tarragon
1 t black pepper
4 bay leaves
1/4 C cream

Instructions:

If live clams and mussels are used, make sure they are all closed tight and their shells are not broken. Steam them for about 5 minutes, when their shells open. Inspect for sand and rinse if needed. If no sand is in the steam water, add it to the soup for flavoring.

If shrimp is not in frozen blend, thaw in cold water, de-shell and devein both side, then rinse.

In a 5 quart pot, brown onions in canola oil, adding cream sherry or white wine 1 T at a time optionally, otherwise use water to keep it from burning. Add celery and continue until brown.

Add carrots, potatoes, parsley, spinach, boullion, tarragon, black pepper and bay leaves and simmer for 20 minutes.

Bring to a boil and add seafood. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add cream and serve.