Recipe
Smoked Fish Chowder
Quite possibly my favorite soup ever… I make this with fresh cod and smoked salmon.
Overview
Potates, leeks, fennel, corn…
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. red-skinned potatoes, ½” dice
2 bay leaves
2 fennel bulbs, cored and thinly sliced
2 quarts milk
2-3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut lengthwise in half then sliced into ¼” pieces. (See the notes section in the recipe card below for how to clean leeks without losing your mind!)
2 cups heavy cream
½ large onion, thinly sliced
1 ½ pounds smoked fish (I use cold-smoked salmon)
4-5 tablespoons butter
1 ½ pounds fresh cod
1 ½ tsp. thyme
2 cups frozen white corn
Instructions
Step 1
Dice the potatoes (leave the skins on), cover with water, and cook until barely done, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Step 2
Melt the butter in a large stockpot. Sauté the fennel, leeks, and onions with the thyme and bay leaf over med-low heat, covered, for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
Step 3
Add the potatoes then add the milk and the cream, heating slowly and stirring to prevent the soup from boiling.
Step 4
Once hot, add the frozen corn. Stir and bring back to temp.
Step 5
Add the smoked fish, cut into bite-sized pieces, then add the fresh fish and heat until the fish is cooked (about 3 minutes) and turn off the heat. Be careful not to boil the soup.
Step 6
Add salt and pepper to taste. Be careful with the salt as the smoked salmon is already salty. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Smoked Fish Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs. red-skinned potatoes ½” dice
- 2 fennel bulbs cored and thinly sliced
- 2-3 large leeks white and pale green parts only, cut lengthwise in half then sliced into ¼” pieces (see note below about preparing leeks)
- ½ large onion thinly sliced
- 4-5 tablespoons butter
- 1 tsp.+ thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 quarts milk
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 ½ pounds smoked fish I use cold-smoked salmon
- 1 ½ pounds fresh cod
- 2 cups frozen white corn
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Dice the potatoes, cover with water, and cook until barely done, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Melt the butter in a large stockpot. Sauté the fennel, leeks, and onions with the thyme and bay leaf over med-low heat, covered, for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.
- Add the potatoes then add the milk and the cream, heating slowly and stirring to prevent the soup from boiling.
- Once hot, add the frozen corn. Stir and bring back to temp.
- Add the smoked fish, cut into bite-sized pieces, then add the fresh fish and heat until the fish is cooked (about 3 minutes) and turn off the heat. Be careful not to boil the soup.
- Add pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
Notes
- Fill a large bowl with cold water
- Wash the outside of the leeks under running water
- Cut off the roots, then slice each one lengthwise, then slice into 1/4" pieces.
- Put the pieces into the bowl of water and swish them around a bit with. your hands. Then let it sit for a minute. The dirt will fall to the bottom of the bowl.
- Lift the leeks out of the bowl and pour out the water.
- If you feel you need to, you can bathe them again, but most often I find that one bath works!