Ingredients:

1     cup (250 mL) butter
2     medium onions
2     cloves garlic
2     cups grated peeled potatoes
1/4     cup (50 mL) vermouth
2     cups (500 m L) milk
2     cups (500 mL) heavy cream
2     cups (500 mL) shellfish (choice of lobster, oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, and/or crab)
1 1/2    cups (375 mL) diced potato, steamed
Salt and pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste

Garnish:
Mixture of lobster roe, minced lemon zest and chopped chives
Chive oil (optional)
Crab potato cake (optional)

Directions:

Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat, add onions and sauté until translucent. Stir in garlic and continue to sauté until onions are golden brown. Add grated potato, vermouth, milk and cream. Cook over medium heat, stirring often to prevent scorching, until potato is cooked, about 20 minutes.

In a blender, purée chowder base in batches, then return to chowder pot and season with salt and pepper.

Cook whatever shellfish you want to add to the chowder, retaining all liquid from the cooking process. Shuck and set seafood aside. Add cooking liquid to the chowder base. Add diced, cooked potato for texture. Add seafood, and check for seasoning one last time. Finish with chopped chives.  Makes 8 to 10 servings.