Ingredients

2 quarts water
3 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
1 pound halibut fillets, skinless
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 jalapeño pepper, stemmed & halved (optional)
1/2 stalk celery, minced
1 yellow onion, minced
1/2 stalk leek(the green shoots only), washed & minced
2 tablespoons black pepper
2 teaspoons thyme
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds swordfish fillets, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
1/2 pound cockles or clams, rinsed and drained

Directions

Combine water, potatoes, and jalapeño, if desired, in a large stockpot. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat; simmer for 20 minutes. Remove the jalapeno and discard. Strain the fish through a colander, making sure to reserve all of the liquid. Place half of the fish and potato in a food processor (a blender also works) add the reserved water to cover. Puree for 2-3 minutes. Do this until all of the fish and potatoes are pureed. Place olive oil in the stockpot and heat to medium high. Add the swordfish cubes and stir approximately 2 minutes until all the cubes have been browned. Add the pureed mixture, heavy cream and spices to the stockpot and simmer for 8 minutes. Add the remaining shellfish and simmer an additional 3-4 minutes. Serve as a first course or as entree. Serves 6.

Each serving contains 696 calories, 17g fat, 79g protein, 57g carb, 1,012mg sodium, 234mg cholesterol.

NOTE: Any type of flaky fish is fine for the stock; but flaky fish will not do well in the soup because it doesn't hold together. Fresh swordfish is a good choice because of its density. This particular recipe can be easily tailored to meet your needs.