Smoky Fish Chowder

"Chowdah, Bobby, Chowdah."

I love soup. I had made lobster stock from the shells of our Valentine’s dinner and was searching for a recipe I could embellish with the velvety taste of this crustacean. When I saw this recipe in the Tampa Bay Times I knew I could add my own touches and create something memorable. The only caveat I have to the article is that if you are Roman Catholic and observe meatless Fridays you will need to omit the bacon. The article referred to this as appropriate for Lent and for my observance it is not. It is a delicious soup and the basic recipe could be enhanced by adding some small shrimp along with the white fish.

 

 

Ingredients:

4 slices bacon, diced     3-4 tablespoons butter     2 medium leeks, white and green parts,  thinly sliced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt     1/4 teaspoon plus hot smoked paprika     1/4 cup dry white vermouth or white wine

2 1/2 cups lobster stock     1 cup water     1/2 red or fingerling potatoes, sliced thinly into 1/4 inch rounds

4 thyme sprigs     2 cups whole milk, or  1 1/2 2% and 1/2 cup half-and-half     10 ounces flaky white fish, such

as flounder or cod, cut into 2-inch chunks

Method:

Brown bacon until crisp, about 7 minutes, in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.

Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pot. Add butter and let melt. Add leeks and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft, about 7 minutes. Stir in paprika; cook 1 minute. Pour in vermouth and simmer until almost completely evaporated, about 3 minutes. Stir in fish or lobster or shrimp stock, 1 cup water, potatoes, thyme and remaining salt. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Add milk, half-and-half and cooked bacon to pot; bring to a simmer. Add fish and cook until just opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. Use a fork to flake fish into large pieces. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove thyme stems. Serve immediately. We reheated the leftovers the next day and they were delicious.

Makes 3 to 4 servings.

Source: New York Times