Sea Bass Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 lbs fresh sea bass fillets, wiped with paper towel and cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1/3 cup bacon dripping or butter or margarine
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2/3 cup chopped green pepper
• 1 potato
• 12 whole cloves
• 1 1/2 cups peeled and diced raw potatoes
• 2 cups tomato puree
• 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
• hot pepper sauce
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1 bay leaf, crumbled
• 1 lemon, sliced

Directions

1. 1

   Heat 1 Tbsp bacon drippings in large heavy pot; add onions, garlic and green pepper and sauté over high heat 4 minutes.

2. 2

   Add rest of drippings and flour and cook over medium low heat, stirring, until flour mixture is golden and a bit thickened.

3. 3

   Stud chunk of potato with whole cloves and add to soup along with next 8 ingredients (diced potatoes through bay leaf) plus 6 cups water; cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Add fish, cover and let simmer 8 more minutes; remove and discard the potato chunk with the whole cloves stuck in it.

5. 5

   Pour chowder into 4 soup bowls, top with lemon slices and serve hot.