Seafood Chowder with Squash

Ingredients

• 1 small ají dulce red cored julienned halved seeded
• 6 servings ground aleppo pepper 
• 1  bay leaf 
• 1  carrots sliced
• 1 tablespoon chives finely chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon mild curry powder 
• 1  garlic clove minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger minced peeled
• 0.5  leek white green halved lengthwise thinly sliced ( and pale parts)
• 1  lemongrass stalk with the side of a chef's knife and halved
• 1 pound mussels cleaned
• 6 servings olive oil extra-virgin
• 1 cup potatoes diced
• 8  baby radishes halved
• 2 tablespoons onion red minced
• 6 servings salt 
• 6 servings salt and pepper 
• 0.5 pound sea bass fillet skinless black cut into small chunks
• 1  shallots minced
• 0.5 pound shrimp deveined peeled halved
• 8  baby turnips peeled quartered
• 0.8 cup coconut milk unsweetened
• 3.5 cups vegetable broth 
• 0.5 small onion white minced
• 0.5 cup white wine 
• 1 cup winter squash diced such as kabocha

Equipment

• bowl
• pot
• sieve
• blender
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Make the chowder base. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.
2. Add the onion and cook until softened, about 6 minutes.
3. Add the leek, shallot, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek is softened, about 6 minutes.
4. Add the squash, carrot, and curry powder, season with salt, and cook, stirring, for a few minutes.
5. Raise the heat to medium-high, add the lemongrass, bay leaf, coconut milk, and broth, and bring to a simmer. Cook the chowder base until the squash and carrots are very tender, about 30 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, make the mussels. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat.
7. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high, add the wine, and bring to a boil.
8. Add the mussels, cover the pot, and steam them until they just open wide, 3 to 4 minutes.
9. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mussels to a medium bowl.
10. Remove the mussels from the shells; discard the shells and any mussels that haven't opened. Strain the broth into a small bowl.
11. Once the squash is tender, discard the lemongrass and bay leaf. Process the chowder base in a blender until very smooth and creamy, then pass through a fine-mesh strainer into a large pot.
12. Bring the chowder base to a simmer, then add the raw diced squash, potatoes, and turnips and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
13. Add the radishes, shrimp, and sea bass and simmer for about 3 minutes. Stir in the mussels and red pepper. The soup's consistency should be thinner than traditional chowder—add a splash of the reserved mussel liquid, if needed. Season with a touch of salt and pepper.
14. Serve the chowder in bowls, topped with a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, the red onion, chives, and Aleppo pepper.