Serves : 6 peoples

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time : 25 minutes

40g butter

1 leek, sliced

2 sticks celery, thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

1 1/2 cups fish or chicken stock

350 g new potatoes, cut into 1cm chunks

2 teaspoons thyme leaves

600g mixed seafoods (eg: white fish, prawn, scallops, mussels etc)

125g light cream cheese

salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and saute the leek, celery and garlic for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the flour and cook fore 1 minute. Stir in the milk and stock, bring to the boil and stir until thickened. Reduce the heat then add the potatoes and thyme, simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.

2. Add seafood and simmer for 5 minutes until seafood is just cooked through.

3. Stir the light cream cheese into the chowder until smooth. Simmer for a further 5 minutes until well heated. Season, then ladle into serving bowls and garnish with thyme sprigs. Serve immediately.