Seafood and wheat beer chowder

SERVES 2

10 black mussels, on the shell

10 cockles, on the shell

10 scallops, on the shell

10 whelks (sea snails), in the shell

olive oil

1 leek, white part only, chopped

2 celery stalks, diced

2 garlic cloves, finely diced

1 red chilli, finely diced

500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) bottle of Three Boys Wheat beer (see note)

250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) chicken stock

2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 fresh corn cob, corn kernels cut off the cob

3 tablespoons cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander (cilantro) leaves

1 large banded morwong or red moki fillet, about 300 g (10½ oz)

1 tablespoon finely snipped chives

sourdough, to serve

Scrub the mussels and pull out the hairy beards and discard any broken mussels, or open ones that don’t close when tapped on the work surface. Rinse all the shellfish well.

In a frying pan large enough to hold all of the ingredients add a splash of olive oil and gently fry the leek until softened. Add the celery and fry until softened and then add the garlic and chilli and fry for several minutes. Pour in the beer, bring to a boil. Add the cockles, cover the pan with a lid and bring the liquid back to the boil. Next add the mussels, again cover the pan and cook for 4–5 minutes, or until the mussels have opened, then add the scallops and whelks, cover with a lid and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken stock, tomato, corn and some salt and pepper. Give it all a good stir and check for seasoning. Bring the liquid back to the boil and add the cream and coriander. Give it all a mix and again and check seasoning and adjust if necessary. Discard any mussels or cockles that remain closed.

While the chowder is coming back to the boil, season the banded morwong fillet on both sides with salt and pepper. Add a splash of olive oil to a frying pan over high heat or hot barbecue plate and cook the fish for 3 minutes on each side.

To serve, place the cooked fish fillet in a large shallow serving bowl, then pour the chowder over it. Garnish with the chopped chives. Serve in the middle of the table and everyone can help themselves. Soak up the chowder with some fresh crusty sourdough.

In Australia, use Feral White, Hoegaarden Ale, Redback Original or Holgate White Ale in place of the Three Boys, which can only be found in NZ.