Chowdah

My dad recently gave me some cast iron cookware, and I’ve been dying to cook something in them since.  I made a grilled cheese sandwich in one of the skillets, but, though satisfying, it did not quench my cast-iron thirst.
So I thought:  I’ll make chowder!  I’ve never made chowder before, but I didn’t think it would be too much of a challenge.  I’ve always kind of thought many mysterious processes went into chowder.  How was it so creamy?  How does it taste like that?  I’ve carried these questions around with me without really thinking about them since I was little.  Once I sat down and thought about it, it seemed pretty simple.   Creamy = cream.  Flavor = seafood.  Duh.
So here’s a chowder.  Get cookin’!
YOU WILL NEED:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 2 onions (about 2.5-3 cups), diced
• 4 ~7 inch carrots, chopped
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 3-4 russet potatoes, diced
• 1 cup mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups white wine
• 3 cans (6.5 oz) chopped clams
• 1 can (8 oz) oysters
• 1 lb mussels, pre-cooked in-shell
• 2 cups shrimp, shelled and chopped
• thyme
• fresh parsley
• 2 cups heavy cream
• salt & pepper

YOU WILL NEED TO:

1. Pre-dice the veggies before you start cooking (will save you stress later).  In a largish cast-iron Dutch oven, melt the butter.  No, you don't have to use a Dutch oven.  But I did.
    
2. Add onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes when the butter is fully melted and beginning to bubble a bit.  Stir well, so that the vegetables are nicely coated in butter.  Cover the pot.
    
3. While these are cooking (for 10-15 minutes – stir occasionally), chop the parsley (if fresh) and mushrooms (if not already done), and open the bottle of wine.  Drink some.  You deserve it.
   
4. After the 10-15 minutes are up (onions will start to be translucent), add the parsley, mushrooms, thyme, and wine.
5. Open the cans of clams and oysters, and drain their juices into the pot as well.
   
6. Bring this to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for around 15-20 minutes.
   
7. Add the seafood (clams, oysters, mussels, and shrimp).
    
8. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.
9. Add heavy cream, and salt & pepper (to taste).  Let simmer for another ten minutes.
10. Serve it up!  Really good with saltines.