Seafood Chowder with Freekeh, Potatoes, and Corn

Ingredients

Extra-virgin olive oil

1 leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise, cleaned well, and cut crosswise into half- moons ¼ inch (6 mm) thick

2 to 3 largeish inner celery stalks, preferably with some leaves attached, thinly sliced, leaves roughly chopped '2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

Kosher salt

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 pound (450 g) new potatoes, peeled only if the skins are thick, halved or quartered iflarge

1 habanero chile, halved

1 bay leaf

2 large ears sweet corn, kernels sliced off, cobs cut in half and reserved

2 quarts (2 liters) water

½ cup (85 g) uncooked freekeh

4 ounces (115 g) hot-smoked salmon or trout, skin and bones removed, broken into large flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

Hot sauce

1lemon, half for juice, half for wedges

8 ounces (225 g) dry-packed scallops, halved or quartered iflarge

8 ounces (225g) mild white- fleshed fish such as cod, halibut, or rock fish, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) chunks

1 cup (240 g) heavy cream or crème fraîche

Directions

Pour a glug of olive oil into a large soup pot and heat over medium-high heat. Add the leek, celery stalks, garlic, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Add the butter and cook, stirring, until the vegetables become slightly golden, another 3 or 4 minutes.

Add the potatoes, habanero, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt, the corn cobs, and the water. Bring back to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Add the freekeh and half the corn kernels and simmer until the freekeh and potatoes are both tender, another 15 to 20 minutes. Don't worry if the potatoes are done before the freekeh; you want them to fall apart a bit and thicken the chowder.

Add the smoked salmon, several generous twists of black pepper, a few shakes of hot sauce, and a big squeeze of the

lemon half. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove and discard the corncobs, scraping them to remove any soup and to squeeze out the tender pulp clinging to the cobs. Set the soup aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium- high heat. Add a small glug of olive oil, the scallops, and the white fish and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Once added, don't move them for at least 1 minute; this will help them get a browned exterior and prevent them from sticking to the pan. Flip the seafood and add some soup broth to the pan to deglaze. Add the cream and bring to a simmer, then add all of this back to the soup pot.

Gently reheat the soup if needed, then add the celery leaves (if using) and the remaining raw corn. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with the lemon wedges and more hot sauce.

Notes

Yes, a classic corn chowder is an unusual place to find freekeh, but I wanted to bring some attitude to what's often a too-bland soup, all sweet vegetables and creamy broth. Here I use potatoes as per the traditional soup, which I let fall apart a bit so they thicken the broth, and I use the corn in three ways: the cobs will flavor the base broth, half of the kernels will get cooked a long time to add body and sweetness, and a final handful of kernels will go in just at the end, so they retain their juicy freshness and add some contrast. The freekeh contributes a smoky meatiness that I love, especially when echoed by the hot-smoked salmon. I think the salmon, scallops, and chunks of white fish make a great combination, but you can use whatever seafood you have on hand. When shopping for the scallops, try to buy "dry-packed"; if not labeled as such, ask the fishmonger. —Serves 6