Baked Lemon Fish & Shellfish Chowder

16 rashers smoked bacon in 2 mm lardons
2 onions, fine diced
2 garlic cloves, fine diced
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
400 ml cream
400 ml chicken stock
4 potatoes, peeled & cut 1 cm dice
4 portions of lemon fish, 160 g each
Rice bran oil
SIDS SALT & PEPPER to taste
PIPI or TUATUA:--
600 g shellfish
2 glasses white wine
2 shallots, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 sprigs thyme

Cook the Shellfish: put pipi and/or tuatua, wine, shallot, garlic and thyme into a mixing bowl.
Heat a saucepan and when hot, tip in the contents of the bowl then cover immediately. After 2-3 minutes all the shells will open then remove from the heat and strain. Pass the stock through a fine sieve or a clean tea towel, to remove any dirt. Pick the meat out of most of the shells, saving a few for garnish.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Heat a frypan and add bacon then cook gently until golden brown - pour away and keep any fat that is released. Add onion, garlic, thyme and bay then cook gently until soft. Add shellfish stock and simmer until reduced by ¾. Add cream, chicken stock and diced potatoes, then cook for 20 minutes until potatoes are soft. Be sure it doesn't catch.
Place the lemon fish in a baking dish lined with baking paper, drizzle with oil then season with SIDS SALT & PEPPER.
Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until just cooked through.
To serve, remove the thyme and bay from the chowder, add shellfish and cook a few minutes.
Serve in large bowls with the lemonfish on top, seasoned with SIDS SALT & PEPPER, with shellfish in the shell in full view.
Inspired by Nadia Lim