San Franciscan Seafood Chowder in A Bread Cup

A lovely dish to begin a meal with some friends or family...

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   1) Preheat oven to 200*C. First, prepare the bread bowls. Using a sharp knife, cut a large hole in the top of the bread loaf, then remove this crusty top and set aside. Carefully remove all the soft bread from the inside of the loaf leaving the surrounding crust intact.
   2) Place the loaves in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until the loaves are crisp and dry. Set aside.
   3) Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the chopped leeks, onions, garlic, carrots, parsnip, celery and thyme leaves. Saute in the butter for 10 minutes until the vegetables are soft and golden. Remove the pan from the heat and sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, stirring constantly to mix the flour with te butter. Return the pan to the heat and continue stirring until the mixture begins to turn golden (about 2 minutes). This gives the flour a 'cooked' flavour.
   4) Add the fish stock, stirring constantly to dissolve the roux mixture into the liquid, then simmer the soup for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the seafood by cutting the fish and shellfish into bite-sized pieces.
   5) Add the shellfish, cream, parsley and salt and pepper (to taste), and cook for a further 5 minutes. Do not allow the soup to boil rapidly because it may curdle. Once the shellfish has cooked, stir the lemon juice through the fish and ladle the soup into the bread bowls. Garnish with some chopped chives and serve.
   Enjoy your meal!