The Life Kitchen: Corn and haddock chowder

Not for the faint-hearted this one, a chowder is the daddy of soups. I always make loads of this. A big bowl left in my fridge diminishes over a day or two. This is comfort eating. Forget popcorn, this is the perfect accompaniment to a good film.

Sweetcorn cobs
2 potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
25g butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 stalk celery
300ml fish stock
100ml white wine
300g undyed haddock, skinned and cut into 2.5cm chunks
100ml double cream
Black pepper
Bunch of parsley, chopped

Hold the cobs upright and slice off the yellow kernels. Quarter the potatoes and slice each quarter into five. Keep the slices in cold water.

Heat the oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over a low heat. Add the onion and celery and cook, lid on, for five minutes.

Add the corn kernels and potatoes and cook, lid on, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Don't break up the potatoes.

Pour in the fish stock and wine, put the lid on, turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes.

Add the fish, bring to the boil, then simmer, lid on, for three minutes, until the fish is cooked. Remove from the heat.

Stir in the cream and tons of black pepper. Serve in bowls and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

'Veg: the Cookbook' by Gregg Wallace is published by Mitchell Beazley, priced £12.99