Post by wilderness on Feb 12, 2017 12:54:13 GMT -5
Just Enough Fish Chowder
wellenuffalone.blogspot.com/2009/02/just-enough-fish-chowder.html
“The weather's turning, I better cook up more of my rib sticking food, before we have a genuine spring with all the food that comes with it. Canned chowder is convenient; it is also filled with salts and thickeners. So, yeah, this takes longer but it's much more flavorful.
“The basic New England form of cream based chowders are virtually interchangeable at this level, you can make clam, fish, seafood or corn just by varying the major ingredient. And I will confess I have made chowder that had corn, fish AND clams in it - and by damn it was good.
“I picked up a half pound piece of pollock yesterday but you can use any fish you like. Basically I use what I can afford. If it is a real fish monger ask for 'chowder' fish, these will be all the bits left over from filleting. “Usually all white fish bits, very yummy, very frugal. You can of course omit the pig fat and use a dash of liquid smoke. I used bacon this time, but I also keep a square of salt pork in the freezer for recipes like this; I let it thaw for a few minutes on the counter, then whack off a bit with the clever, then put it back in the freezer. If you have cream or half and half use that, sometimes I don't so I make a very thin white sauce using milk.”
FISH CHOWDER
1 medium or large potato
1 onion
1 piece of bacon or an ounce of salt pork
½ pound of fish
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh pepper
Dice bacon and fry it in the bottom of the medium saucepan until crispy.
Dice onion and potato.
When bacon has browned add diced onion.
Reduce heat and sauté until the onions are translucent.
Then add 3 cups water and diced potatoes. Simmer 15 minutes.
Roughly chop fish.
When the potatoes are just tender add the fish.
Simmer for another 2 minutes, heat through and remove from the heat. (the fish will continue to cook just fine)
Melt butter in saucepan, add 1 tablespoon flour, whisk until it gets bubbly but not brown and dry.
slowly whisk in 1 cup milk. Cook this thin white sauce about 2 minutes until it is as thick as cream.
Return chowder to heat and stir in the white sauce.
Bring to low simmer and season to taste.
Do not boil the chowder after the milk is in or the milk fats will separate.
Eat with REALLY good bread and eating butter.
1 comment:
Seth said...
I was driving around the Maine coast a few years ago and stopped by a little cafe that served a fish chowder just like this, minus the bacon. I went back later and got a quart of it and the recipe. The secret ingredient? Kelp granules. It adds just a tiny bit of unidentifiable sea flavor. Probably any kind of seaweed would do the same.
wellenuffalone.blogspot.com/2009/02/just-enough-fish-chowder.html
“The weather's turning, I better cook up more of my rib sticking food, before we have a genuine spring with all the food that comes with it. Canned chowder is convenient; it is also filled with salts and thickeners. So, yeah, this takes longer but it's much more flavorful.
“The basic New England form of cream based chowders are virtually interchangeable at this level, you can make clam, fish, seafood or corn just by varying the major ingredient. And I will confess I have made chowder that had corn, fish AND clams in it - and by damn it was good.
“I picked up a half pound piece of pollock yesterday but you can use any fish you like. Basically I use what I can afford. If it is a real fish monger ask for 'chowder' fish, these will be all the bits left over from filleting. “Usually all white fish bits, very yummy, very frugal. You can of course omit the pig fat and use a dash of liquid smoke. I used bacon this time, but I also keep a square of salt pork in the freezer for recipes like this; I let it thaw for a few minutes on the counter, then whack off a bit with the clever, then put it back in the freezer. If you have cream or half and half use that, sometimes I don't so I make a very thin white sauce using milk.”
FISH CHOWDER
1 medium or large potato
1 onion
1 piece of bacon or an ounce of salt pork
½ pound of fish
3 cups water
1 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon fresh pepper
Dice bacon and fry it in the bottom of the medium saucepan until crispy.
Dice onion and potato.
When bacon has browned add diced onion.
Reduce heat and sauté until the onions are translucent.
Then add 3 cups water and diced potatoes. Simmer 15 minutes.
Roughly chop fish.
When the potatoes are just tender add the fish.
Simmer for another 2 minutes, heat through and remove from the heat. (the fish will continue to cook just fine)
Melt butter in saucepan, add 1 tablespoon flour, whisk until it gets bubbly but not brown and dry.
slowly whisk in 1 cup milk. Cook this thin white sauce about 2 minutes until it is as thick as cream.
Return chowder to heat and stir in the white sauce.
Bring to low simmer and season to taste.
Do not boil the chowder after the milk is in or the milk fats will separate.
Eat with REALLY good bread and eating butter.
1 comment:
Seth said...
I was driving around the Maine coast a few years ago and stopped by a little cafe that served a fish chowder just like this, minus the bacon. I went back later and got a quart of it and the recipe. The secret ingredient? Kelp granules. It adds just a tiny bit of unidentifiable sea flavor. Probably any kind of seaweed would do the same.
