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Fish Chowder

Source of Recipe

From "See You on Sunday" by Sam Sifton


Recipe Introduction

"I make this fragrant stew most often with cod or fluke, but it's nice with salmon (in which case, you could try smoked salmon in place of the bacon), grouper, medallions of monkfish, even mixtures of whatever fish you caught or bought that day. Omit the cream if you like, for a clear chowder of remarkable delicacy. And absolutely experiment with the stocks you use: A lobster or clam stock, if you have some in the freezer, is an excellent medium for fish chowder, as is a vegetable one, or a mock stock of water and white wine."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ ¼ pound slab bacon, ideally double smoked
â—¦ 2 leeks, tops removed, halved, and cleaned, then sliced into half-moons
â—¦ 3 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled if you're feeling fancy and cubed
â—¦ ½ cup dry white wine
â—¦ 3 cups fish stock, vegetable stock, or water
â—¦ 3 fresh thyme sprigs
â—¦ 1 bay leaf
â—¦ 2 pounds fresh fish fillets
â—¦ 2 cups heavy cream
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ¼ cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley


Recipe

Put the butter in a large, heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. When the butter foams, add the bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon has started to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the fat, and set aside.

Add the leeks to the fat and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in the potatoes and wine, and continue cooking until the wine has evaporated and the potatoes have just started to soften, about 5 minutes. Add enough stock to just cover the potatoes, then add the thyme and bay leaf. Partly cover the pot and simmer gently until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

While the potatoes cook, cut the fish fillets into fingers. When the potatoes are tender, add the cream, the reserved bacon, and the pieces of fish. Add pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer and cook until the fish is pearlescent and just beginning to flake, then remove from the heat. (Do not let the chowder come to a full boil.) Remove the thyme sprigs and bay leaf, and discard.

If you have the time, allow the chowder to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it to a bare simmer before serving, then garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.