Recipe: Chef Colin Ambrose's Oaxacan Seafood Chowder

Chef/owner Colin Ambrose of Estia’s Little Kitchen on the Bridgehampton Turnpike just south of Sag Harbor, shares this recipe for Oaxacan seafood chowder, marking the beginning of his true love for the combination of tomatillo, onion, cilantro and poblano. Enjoy!

Chef Colin Ambrose’s Oaxacan Seafood Chowder         

Recipe serves 4

Ingredients:

6 tomatillo, chopped
2 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
6 jalapeño, chopped with seeds
1 quart water
1 bunch cilantro

Directions:

Combine in a pot and simmer for 1 hour.

Transfer to a blender and run on high until smooth.

Chill and hold for service, this will be more than you need, but this puree is great for huevos rancheros and enchiladas, so it wont go to waste.

Mix in a saucepan over medium heat:

½ cup sweet corn
½ cup zucchini sticks
½ cup broccoli, chopped
½ cup carrot sticks
½ cup onion, chopped
¼ cup veg oil

Add cilantro to the blender not the pot, add after simmering the veg. in the first phase.

Vegetables should be stirred over medium heat for 3 min then add seafood.

Add seafood:

8 16/20 shrimp
2 pounds porgie or fluke
12 littleneck clams
2 cups clam broth
2 cups tomatillo puree

Simmer until the clams open, season with sea salt and serve with corn tortillas.

~ This recipe comes to us from Estia’s Little Kitchen in Noyac, estias.com