Philosophizing About Food With Francine: Seafood Chowder

by Francine Black

[High in the mountains above Bally, where the dense groves of treetops seem to touch the sky, is Francine Black, Boyertown’s own version of chef Julia Child. Her daily activities reflect the things she most values: family and friends, music, and lovingly prepared food.] 

Seafood chowder with buttermilk biscuits. (Although soda crackers are traditional, I’d rather offer them to Hansel and Gretel for pebbling their path.). 

There’s a tale told that the goddess Venus fed fish soup to her husband Vulcan and that he was so engrossed in its enjoyment that he never noticed her running off to cavort with other lovers.

Small wonder that every culture from Norway to Indonesia has a favorite recipe for fish soup! The New England version seems to have originated in France’s Bretagne, whose rocky and blue sanded coast reaches out into the Atlantic. Famous for its lovely resorts, it boasts many prehistoric megaliths. It’s name, (trans) Brittany, comes from the Welsh Britons who emigrated to this peninsula in the 4th century bringing with them their language, culture and cuisine. Centuries later, French trappers moved to Canada and brought the fish soup idea to New England. 

It’s really delicious. My version features cod, scallops, potatoes, onions and herbs in a creamy milk broth and cooked in a layered arrangement according to tradition. The biscuits are just lovely dipped in local honey.  

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[Read our original story about Francine Black here:  https://boyertownareaexpression.town.news/g/boyertown-pa/n/126805/xxxxx… ]

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