Seafood Chowder

Having grown up in a warm mecca for retired "snowbirds", my definition of seafood chowder was shaped by the flavors of New England.  As a result, my first attempt at the decadent soup borrows heavily from the balanced palate of coastal Northeastern cuisine: salty pancetta playing off of the sweetness of the scallops, the mirepoix coyly flirting with the cream base.

ZESTY ZAFTIG'S SEAFOOD CHOWDER
Servings: 6

2 ounces pancetta, chopped  
1/4 cup carrot, brunoised
1/4 cup celery, brunoised
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup seafood stock (or clam juice)
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cubed         
1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 can baby clams, with juice
9 ounces bay scallops
1/2 pound whitefish (cod, halibut, etc.)
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste


In a Dutch oven or pot with tight-fitting lid, cook the pancetta on medium-high heat until it begins to crisp up.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add butter, onion, celery, and carrot.  Stir well and cover, cook for 5-7 minutes until the vegetables soften.  Add seafood stock/clam juice and potatoes.  Cover with lid and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Add half-and-half and seasonings; simmer for an additional 5 minutes.  Add scallops, whitefish, and baby clams.  Simmer until seafood is cooked and flavors incorporate, about ten minutes.