Clam and corn chowder with cod

Dice the onion: top and tail it, halve it pole to pole, peel, slice five to six times from one pole to the other, turn 90 degrees and dice.

Halve the fennel pole to pole, cut out the woody core and dice the same way.

Peel the Yukon golds and cut into a rough medium dice, one or two pieces to a soup spoon.

Preheat the Dutch oven over medium, add olive oil, then the onion and fennel with a strong pinch of salt.

Sweat three to four minutes over low heat to soften and release moisture without caramelization.

Add the garlic and sweat another two minutes.

Add the stock, heavy cream, potatoes, frozen corn and clam juice, season with salt and stir.

Bring to a gentle simmer, then cook with the lid on over medium low 20 to 25 minutes until the potatoes smush against the side of the pot.

Slice the cod into strips, then cut into a medium large dice and salt it to cure and firm the flesh; hold in the fridge.

Scoop about half the soup into a blender with a high ratio of cooking liquid and blend on high 20 to 30 seconds until creamy.

Stir the puree back into the pot and loosen with about 200 grams of water until it falls off the ladle loosely.

Drop the heat to low and stir in the cod and the rinsed smoked oysters.

Hold just below a simmer about two minutes until the cod turns opaque and flakes.

Check the viscosity and taste for salt, adding about two more pinches.

Serve very hot, garnished with olive oil, minced chives, oyster crackers and cracked black pepper, with crusty bread and lemon wedges.