Chowder

I had a pink salmon that had been frozen way too long. Just the same I roasted it on a bed of sliced potatoes and it was – well – not very nice. So I picked all the meat off the bones, threw them – plus the tail, fins and any skin – in a pot of water and made a stock.

The potatoes went in the fridge and the next day I made the chowder, using the stock, seasoned with herbs, sweet pepper and carrots – plus the  potatoes and salmon. If I’d had it in the fridge, I would have added a thinly sliced stalk of Celery  or fennel.

It’s a clear soup – not a creamy chowder. If you want it creamier – without adding cream, whizz it with a handheld blender before adding the salmon.

Here’s how to make it:
Strain the stock to remove bones and skin pieces (discard this), bring the remaining liquid to a simmer and add:

• a pinch dried thyme
• a generous pinch dried rosemary
• a pinch sage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• About 1/4 cup diced onion
• 3 thin carrots, thinly sliced – about a cup
• 1 yellow pepper diced – about a cup

Bring all that back to a simmer.
When the carrots are cooked (about 7 minutes, but don’t time it, poke a piece of carrot with a fork, and taste it!) add:

• 3 cups cooked sliced potatoes I used the potatoes that were roasted underneath the salmon when I baked it. They were drenched in the fish oils and juices, that were released during roasting.

Bring the soup to a simmer and add:

• 3 cups cooked salmon Leave this in large chunks as it will break apart when it heats up. It’s already cooked, and to preserve the flavor and texture of the salmon, you don’t want to cook it again in the chowder; rather you just want to heat it through.

This makes 8-10 servings of chowder as an appetizer, or 4-6 servings as a substantial meal. You can freeze it in portion sizes to suit your needs. When you reheat it, it’s really best to defrost it in the fridge overnight, or on the kitchen counter for a few hours. How long it takes to defrost depends on how much chowder is in each container. It really is best thawed and reheated in a pot on the stove top, just bring it quickly to a boil over a high heat, then reduce the heat and allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes. You just want to warm it through. Microwave reheating ruins the taste – in my opinion.

Come back tomorrow for my cornmeal Dumpling recipe!