Thinly slice the fennel bulb and onion. Set aside.

Grate the four garlic cloves and set aside as well. Finely chop up two tablespoons of fresh rosemary and pull off 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves from their stems.

Peel four carrots, halve them lengthwise and slice them into thin half-moon pieces. Quarter two pounds of baby potatoes and set aside.

Place a 7-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and ¼ cup of olive oil and let the butter full melt. Add in the fennel and onions and cook, stirring occasionally for 10-12 minutes or until the onion is melty. Season with a teaspoon of salt.

Add the garlic, rosemary, thyme, 1 teaspoon of smoked paprika and ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper and mix to combine. Cook for less than a minute or until the garlic is fragrant.

Add in the carrots and potatoes and stir. Season with another big pinch of salt and a few cracks of black pepper.

Pour in the wine and let it reduce for 2-3 minutes, simmering so that the alcohol in the wine cooks off. Mix to make sure the wine can seep into the potatoes.

Add in the clam juice and stir again.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon vegetable base and 6 cups of water. Pour that into the pot. Add two bay leaves and bring this to a simmer. Cover and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. The longer it simmers, the more flavor will build.

Cube the pound of sablefish into 1-inch cubes. Roughly tear the kale leaves.

When the chowder has simmered for at least 20 minutes, use an immersion blender to blend up half the soup, leaving a few vegetable chunks in the mix for texture. You can also scoop out a few cups of the vegetables and blend in a traditional blender, then add it back to the soup, if that works better for you.

Add in the sablefish and kale, bring to a robust simmer and cover for 6-7 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Add in ⅓ cup of heavy cream and mix. Zest in 1 teaspoon of lemon zest. If you like a lemony finish, squeeze in 3 tablespoons of lemon juice. If you like less acid, only use about 1-2 tablespoons.

Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil on top!