Its Chowda, say it right!

I have been wanting to have a chowder for a few months now. Natasha and I went out for dinner to Sova Vegan butcher here in Dublin (which we recommend fully), they have a chowder on the menu for a starter, which is gorgeous, but I felt I needed to make a more "fishy" one.

So I set to work modifying one of my old fish chowder recipes. The result was quite unexpectedly fishy. Natasha was not the biggest fan of the shrimp but everyone else devoured it! It doesn't take too long to make if you have some shop bought Vegan shrimp. If you are making your own there are a some really good recipes available. I may even have to do one up myself and perhaps some calamari? Please let me know in the comments

Ingredients

• 600 G diced peeled white potatoes,
• 3 medium carrots diced,
• 1 Pack of Vegan shrimp (I used the 3 coconut tree brand) if you can't get a pre-made one there are many recipes available online,
• 1 tbsp plain flour,
• 200g young green jack fruit drained, cored and De-seeded (one can), Leave some large chunks and break some up into strands.
• 600 ml water,
• 50g of re-hydrated seaweed salad,
• 4 tbsp Veg oyster sauce ( Vegan stir fry sauce is pretty much the same),
• 500 ml plant milk (I have used unsweetened Soya but any would also work),
• 200 ml plant cream (Oat cream or hemp cream would work very well) if you don't have you can leave out,
• large pinch of pink salt (Coarse ground sea salt will work too),
• 1 tbsp coarse ground pepper,
• 1/2 medium red onion finely diced,
• 4 scallions (for garnish)

Method:

Add some neutral oil (sunflower or peanut) to a large pan and heat,

Add onion and allow to soften (2 - 3 min)

Add 1 tbsp plain flour

Add diced carrot and cook for 5 min stirring occasionally

Add potatoes and cook for a further 5 min,

Add Seaweed Salad,

Boil 600 ml of water and mix in the 4 tbsp of veg oyster sauce,

Add in salt and pepper, chop half of the shrimp and leave half whole and add to the pot.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 min,

Add plant milk and allow to simmer on a low heat for 3 - 4 min.

Add plant cream, If you don't have plant cream omit and add 600 ml of plant milk instead simmer for 1 min.

Serve in a bowl with some crispy garlic bread and a pint of black (Stout) or a glass of white wine.

If you are not a fan of shrimp for whatever reason, you can omit completely and use double the amount of jack fruit, just soak half of it in a salt water / liquid smoke mix and you'll get a wonderful white and smoked fish flavour. Enjoy!

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