Fickle Pickle Caribbean Clam Chowder

¼ cup olive oil

3 large shallots or 5 small, peeled and thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cans chopped clams, drain and reserve clam juice
1 clam juice or cup chicken broth
2 star anise
½ TBS roughly cracked black pepper
1 ½ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
½ scant TBS saffron
½ quart heavy cream
½ cup coconut milk

3 – 6 new potatoes, scrubbed and diced medium

1 tsp salt
Water to cover potatoes

1 oz smoked slab bacon, diced into ¼” pieces

¼ cup pure olive oil
2 TBS butter
2 cloves garlic, sliced thinly
½ Poblano chili, stem and seeds discarded, minced
¼ red onion, peeled and diced medium
1 large carrot, peeled and diced medium
¼ bulb fennel, cored and diced medium
1 celery stalk, cleaned and diced medium
½ red bell pepper, stem and seeds discarded, diced medium
½ cup sweet corn kernels
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves
1 large bay leaf or two small, broken

Orange Sections, to garnish (can use 11 oz. can Mandarin oranges)

Cilantro Sprigs, to garnish
Toasted coconut, to garnish

Drain and reserve clams. If reserved clam juice does not equal 1
cup, top off with chicken broth.

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over

medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic. Stir. Let the
vegetables flavor the oil (about 1 minute). Now add clams, clam
juice mixture, star anise, and black pepper. Stir. Now add the
orange juice and cover the pot. Bring to boil and remove cover.

Allow the orange and shellfish juice to reduce, uncovered, until

about 1 c of liquid remains, about 10 minutes. Now add the
saffron, cream, and coconut milk. Bring to a boil, stirring
occasionally. Be careful cream can boil over and spill in seconds.
Reduce the cream until it will just barely coat the back of a spoon,
about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve.

Put potatoes in a saucepot of lightly salted water. Bring to boil and

turn down heat and simmer until just done (about 5 minutes).
Strain off the water. Reserve the potatoes.
In a large heavy soup pot cook the bacon with olive oil over
medium-high heat until bacon is halfway cooked. Add the butter
and stir. Add garlic and chilies and stir briefly. Add the red onion,
carrot, fennel, celery, red pepper, and corn and stir to coat. Add
salt and pepper, cilantro, and bay leaf. Cook until the vegetables
are cooked, but still firm (about 8 minutes).

Add reserved potatoes, cream and clam mixture.

Heat the soup until quite warm.

To toast raw coconut, heat oven to 350° F. Spread coconut in a

thin layer in shallow baking pan. Bake 3 to 5 minutes, stirring
occasionally, until light golden brown.

Garnish with orange sections, cilantro leaves, and/or toasted

coconut.