This is my favourite seafood chowder recipe. It is both gluten-free and lactose free. Perfect soup for the cold days of Fall and Winter! Here is my basic recipe. It tastes wonderful and creamy.

I recently found Natrel lactose free butter and tried it out in this recipe. It works very well. If you can't find lactose free butter you can use olive oil instead or if you don't have a problem with dairy then regular butter will work just fine too.

I love Natrel's lactose free milk and creams. Natrel is a Canadian dairy co-operative based in Montreal, Quebec. You can check out their website for more information and great recipes. Natrel uses Canadian milk, it is part of Agropur, a Canadian dairy cooperative, so when you buy their products you are supporting Canadian dairy farmers and the Canadian economy. For more information you can check out Agropur's website. Canadian milk contains no antibiotics or growth hormones.

I've not been able to find and try all Natrel's products yet. But I'm always looking for them. Have you tried any of the other products? For my chowder I usually use 2 cups of 1 or 2 % milk and 1 cup of heavy cream. This time I used a mixture of 0% milk and 10% coffee cream as that is what I had in my fridge and it worked out well.

Schar's gluten-free crackers are my favourite. I really missed saltines after being diagnosed a celiac and it was such a joy to find this product. They are not exactly the same and they do break easily, but they are the best gluten-free saltine I've been able to find. If you are interested in more information regarding Schar in Canada then check out their website.

Seafood Chowder Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of lactose free butter
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 2 stalks of celery, chopped finely
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of thyme
• 1 large bay leaf
• 2 to 3 potatoes, peeled and chopped into small cubes
• 2 cups of water
• 2 cups of whole lactose free milk
• 1 cup of 10 % lactose free cream
• 2 cups of mixed seafood
• 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• gluten-free crackers
• dill or parsley for garnish

Directions

1. Prepare the vegetables.
2. In a large pot melt the butter and add the chopped onion, celery, salt & pepper, thyme and bay leaf and fry on medium heat for about 5 minutes until slightly browned.
3. Add the potatoes and cook for a further 2 minutes. Stir quite often.
4. Add the water and bring to a boil and then simmer covered until potatoes are tender.
5. Add the seafood and 2 cups of milk. Bring to a boil then turn down to a simmer and cook until the seafood is done.
6. Mix the cornstarch into the remaining 1 cup of milk or cream and add to the pot. Bring to a quick boil then turn the heat down and simmer till slightly thickened. Stir continuously.
7. Take off the heat and add the lemon juice.
8. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
9. Put into bowls and garnish with crushed crackers and herbs of your choice. I like dill.

This soup is extremely versatile. You can add any vegetables you like. I've often added carrots, corn or zucchini. Any seafood will do. Use what you have in your freezer or pantry. I've made it with just shrimp, or haddock or canned clams. If you like a deeper fishy flavour then use clam juice instead or water. If you are tired of seafood or just don't like it you can substitue chicken. It is easy to make into a vegetarian chowder by eliminating the fish and adding your favorite vegetables.

Play with your garnishes. You can put crumbled bacon or roasted corn on top. Use your favorite herbs. Cut up tomatoes works well too.

Let me know how it works out for you? What are your favorite chowders?