This New England fish chowder is a different version of the one I grew up with. My mother always liked to use salmon. Any chowder is a great way to encourage children to eat fish and vegetables. Today’s recipe is one I cooked in Boston, which is a great place for chowder. I was there a few years back, cooking with Kevin Dundon, Darina Allen and Noel McNeill, and we had a very enjoyable time. Make sure you get good-quality naturally smoked fish for the best flavour. You can make this without the bacon but I like the taste. And remember that this will keep in your fridge for four or five days.

Spelt flour is becoming more readily available and can be now bought in most supermarkets in white and wholemeal varieties, so I’ve used a mixture. You could, of course, use regular flour. The buttermilk gives a nice savoury taste. Grated cheese is a tasty addition to this muffin recipe. Sundried tomatoes or herbs will work well too.

Happy cooking.

New England fish chowder

Serves four to six

25g (1oz) butter

1 small onion, diced

1 small leek, diced

1 small carrot, diced

50g (2oz) rindless smoked bacon, diced

1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

300ml (1/2 pint) dry white wine

600ml (1 pint) light chicken or fish stock (from a cube is fine)

450g (1lb) natural smoked cod or haddock, pin bones removed

2 large potatoes, diced

2 tsp cornflour

150ml (1/4 pint) cream

100g (4oz) cooked peeled prawns

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Buttermilk spelt muffins, to serve (see separate recipe)

1 Heat a heavy-based pan. Melt the butter and add the onion, leek, carrot, bacon and thyme. Cook for 10 minutes until softened but not coloured, stirring occasionally. Pour in the wine and allow to bubble down, then pour over the stock and bring to a simmer.

2 Add the smoked cod or haddock fillets to the simmering stock mixture and cook for about five minutes until just tender, then lift out with a fish slice and place on a plate. Roughly flake the flesh, discarding any skin and stray bones. Set aside.

3 Add the potatoes to the stock mixture and simmer for another eight to 10 minutes until tender.

4 Blend the cornflour in a small bowl with a little water and then stir into the soup. Simmer for one minute until thickened and then stir in cream with the prawns and then stir in the parsley and flaked smoked fish. Season to taste.

5 Allow to warm through, stirring occasionally. Ladle into warmed bowls to serve.

Buttermilk spelt muffins

Makes 13 (baker’s dozen)

300g (10 1/2oz) white spelt flour, plus extra for dusting

275g (10oz) wholemeal spelt flour

1 x 7g sachet fast action dried yeast

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

1 tsp fine salt

175ml (6fl oz) warm water

200ml (7fl oz) buttermilk

A little spray oil

1 Put both the flours in a bowl with the yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm water and buttermilk, using a wooden spoon to mix everything together. Then place the dough on a floured work surface and knead it for 10 minutes if doing by hand and five minutes if using a freestanding electric mixer fitted with a dough attachment.

2 To test to see if the dough has been kneaded enough, pick the ball up and then fold the outer edges of it underneath so that you have a ball with a nice taut top. Then cover your finger with flour and prod the side of the dough, making an indent about 5mm deep – the dough should spring back all the way and the indent should disappear if it has been kneaded enough.

3 Put the kneaded dough into a clean bowl and spray the top with a little oil. Cover with clingfilm and leave in a warm but not a hot place to rise for a good hour.

4 After an hour (the time depends on how warm the room is), remove the clingfilm, flour your finger and make another indent in the side of the dough about 5mm deep. The dough should spring back but only half way this time, indicating that the dough has proved enough.

5 Preheat the oven to 2000C (fan 1800C/4000F/gas mark six) and put a large non-stick flat griddle or frying pan over a medium heat. Remove the dough from the bowl and lightly dust the work surface with a little flour and then roll it out to a 1.5cm thickness. Then take a 8cm straight-sided cutter and stamp out 13 muffins. You will need to scrunch up the leftover dough and reroll it to get this number.

6 Put half the muffins in the pan and cook for three minutes on each side or until they go their trademark brown, then transfer them to a large baking sheet. Repeat with the rest of the muffins and then put into the oven for 10-12 minutes until well risen and cooked through. Serve straight or leave to cool, then lightly toast before eating. CL