Chesapeake Chowder

• 18 Chincoteague oysters, or Blue Point or Kumamoto
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 medium leek, diced, white part only
• 1 medium onion, diced (about 1 cup)
• 3 shallots, peeled and minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh picked thyme leaves
• 5 strips bacon, diced
• 3 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups fish stock
• 2 cups clam juice (bottled is fine)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 large potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
• 2 ounces Virginia ham, finely diced
• 2 cups fresh-shucked corn
• 1 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sherry
• 4 drops hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1 pound rockfish or striped bass fillets, skinned and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 16 ounces jumbo lump crab meat (picked for shells)
• 2 tablespoons chopped chives
• Sea salt
• Cracked pepper

1. Shuck the oysters and strain the liquor through a fine mesh sieve.
2. Reserve oysters and liquid separately.
3. In a saute pan, add the butter and heat until bubbling.
4. Add the leeks, onions, shallots, and thyme and cook until transparent.
5. In a separate large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp.
6. Lower the heat, add the flour and cook the "roux" for 5 to 6 minutes.
7. Add the fish stock, clam juice, oyster liquor, white wine, potatoes, and Virginia ham.
8. Raise heat to high and bring to a simmer.
9. Add the cooked leek-onion mixture and reduce all by 1/4.
10. Add the corn and cook for 4 minutes.
11. Add the cream, sherry, and hot sauce and cook 4 more minutes, stirring so as not to scorch.
12. Add the rockfish, crabmeat and oysters and cook a minute or two.
13. Check salt and pepper, noting that the ham is very salty so the chowder won't need much.
14. Serve in 6 warm soup terrines and garnish with the chopped chives.
15. Serve with corn breadsticks or common crackers.

chincoteague oysters, butter, only, onion, shallots, fresh picked thyme, bacon, flour, fish stock, clam juice, white wine, potatoes, virginia ham, corn, heavy cream, sherry, hot sauce, rockfish, jumbo lump crab meat, chives, salt, pepper

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chesapeake-chowder-recipe.html (may not work)