Winter

Fish chowder

by:
March 20, 2011
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

If you have leftover fish, the best thing to do with it is to make a chowder. Reheated fish usually can taste awful, but in a milk chowder, it can get better! This is the latest version I created, which we are enjoying, despite the boiling-all-over the stove disaster. —Sagegreen

Continue After Advertisement
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, chopped
  • 1 pound cooked fish such as salmon and swordfish
  • 1 quart whole milk
  • 2 red bliss potatoes, sliced into eights
  • 1 stalk of celery, sliced nickel thin
  • a sprig of fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Maldon salt flakes or kosher salt, to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, fresh milled
  • handful of mixed fresh herbs, including parsley and dill
Directions
  1. Heat the butter in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute until translucent. Lower the heat.
  2. Stir in the fish. Pour in the milk. Add the potatoes, celery, and thyme. If you have some leek and fennel bulb slice them thinly and throw them in, too. Bring to a slow simmer for 20 minutes, cover, but do not boil (and don't forget about this, or you might return to a stove-top-boiled-over-mess which will take you hours to clean up). Season with salt and pepper. Add half of the chopped fresh herbs. Continue to cook until the vegetables are tender. Let cool and refrigerate. This ages well overnight. To serve, heat gently and garnish with the remaining chopped fresh herbs.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

8 Reviews

Mark C. January 4, 2013
I had a bunch of Salmon and Swordfish left over from a Sukiyaki party that the host had given me, so I was looking for a way to cook the fish that was a bit "long in the tooth". I used whipping cream, which made the chowder a bit too sweet, but otherwise it came out great. I'd use half and half, next time. Note, once I got the chowder to simmer, I put the dutch oven in my oven at 170 degrees to finish cooking, so I would not scald the cream. Came out perfect.
Mark C. January 4, 2013
Note that in Wikipedia, a "chowder" is a fish or vegetable soup thickened with saltines or ship biscuits. The biscuits provided a way of preserving flour on long sea voyages.
Sagegreen January 4, 2013
Thanks for letting me know how this turned out for you. I particularly like your method of keeping the cream from scalding.
checker March 27, 2011
A TV spot?!?! Neat! During the winter holiday season I went home to visit my parents and we got started looking at old pictures from our summer vacations to New England. There were so many pictures of the chowder we would have in different places. It started a craving that hasn't stopped, and when I was reading this recipe my mouth started to water. I think I know what I will be fixing for dinner tomorrow, on the last cold night of this late winter cold snap...
Sagegreen March 27, 2011
Thanks, checker. I love the floor in your backgrounds btw! This chowder is really very healthy. I usually make it with cream. My 5 minutes of fame won't last too long, but this link is still valid for a bit: http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/mass_appeal/taste/swordfish-kabobs
Mark C. January 3, 2013
The TV spot still is running as of 3 Jan 13
hardlikearmour March 21, 2011
Was this fish left over from your TV spot? Swordfish version sounds yummy to me (not a fan of salmon.)
Sagegreen March 21, 2011
Thanks and yes!