Salmon Chowder
Originated from cooking with friends. I’ve adjusted this recipe quite a bit from the original here https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/26463/salmon-chowder/ . Most importantly, I eschew canned salmon for thinly sliced farrow island salmon that we get by the case from restaurant depot.
Ingredients:
Salmon — 1/4 pound, thinly sliced. This can be adjusted based on amount you want. For the most recent cooking time, I used salmon ends from a larger side of salmon. This helps two dishes, since the larger slice is now the same thickness — this is good for something like roasted salmon or gravlox.
Fresh dill, 1 cup. Original recipe calls for dried dill (around 1 tablespoon). Very nice with that too, but fresh dill has a parley-like flavor and adds green.
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2-3 ribs celery, chopped. This is optional, I used celery salt instead on most recent cooking
1/2 oz butter + oil
1 spring fresh rosemary. Added because I had it
2 bay leaves
3 juniper berries. Just added for heck of it, I think it added a nice flavor
Potato or sweet potato, diced small. I used japanese yellow sweet potato in most recent round. Very good with similar starchiness to potato, but a little sweet. The small dice helps this cook quickly
Carrots, diced small. optional, adds color
Corn. I used fresh (presteamed) corn, but frozen is also good. Original recipe called for canned corn.
Soup stock. I used combination of yogurt whey (after boiling for cheese), water, and better than boulion paste. Yogurt whey adds a nice freshness.
Lemon juice. optional, do not added if yogurt whey was used.
Cream/milk/half and half. Add at very end for a little more creaminess and to turn stock milky.
Instructions:
Add oil in pot and heat. Put in herb aromatics (bay leaves, rosemary, juniper berries) and cook for a minute until oil leaches in.
Add onion, garlic, and celery, and butter. Fry until onion is translucent. Add a bit of salt at this point ( I heard it is better to salt incrementally through the cooking process)
Add stock and bring to boil. I usually melt boilion directly into boiling stock. Test for saltiness at this point and adjust
Add potato/sweet potato and corn
Add dill (fresh or dried)
Add salmon then bring pot off heat. Cover. This way salmon will still be tender.