Whitefish + Smoked Salmon Chowder

Whitefish + Smoked Salmon Chowder

Fresh, creamy chowder with chunks of salty smoked salmon and hearty potato is the perfect combination of flavors on a slow, snowy day. 


The exact type of white fish matters little in this recipe! Use what you have on hand, as long as it's firm: lingcod, rockfish, halibut, cod, pollock! The only one I wouldn't recommend  is sablefish (aka black cod); it's too soft, and will be lost in the textures of the soup.


This recipe is a great way to stretch one or two tins of coho + just 1 pound of fish into a meal for the whole family.  

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Whitefish + Smoked Salmon Chowder

Servings

8

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

25 minutes

Category

Whitefish + Smoked Salmon Chowder

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound bacon, diced

  • 1 - 2 tins smoked coho salmon

  • 1 - 1½ lbs lingcod, rockfish, or other firm whitefish; skinned + deboned, cut into ½” cubes

  • 2 cups diced celery
  • 1 yellow onion, diced
  • 1 cup shredded carrot
  • 4 cups cubed Yukon gold or Idaho russet potatoes

  • 1 tsp sea salt

  • 1 tsp fresh ground pepper
  • 2 cups water

  • 4 cups chicken or seafood stock

  • 1 can corn, creamed or regular
  • 1 tbsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream or half and half

Directions

  1. In a heavy bottomed stock pot, fry bacon until crispy. Once cooked, remove bacon, and pour off only some o the fat; leaving enough to sauté the veggies in.

  2. Add celery and onions to the leftover fat, sauté until soft.

  3. Add potatoes, salt, pepper, and thyme; cover with water + stock and cook over medium heat until the potatoes are nicely tender (about 15 minutes)

  4. Add corn and cream. Bring to a simmer; but not a rolling boil. The cream may curdle if brought to a rolling boil.

  5. Add raw cubed fish, and simmer for two minutes. Stir in chunks of smoked salmon and cooked bacon.

  6. Turn off heat, allow to rest for an additional 5 minutes.

  7. Ladle into bowl, add flaky saly and/or hot sauce to taste.