What could be better on a cold night than chowder? Especially nice when served with a nice crisp green salad and crusty hot bread. What you find different about this recipe is that it uses fresh (or previously frozen) salmon, not canned or smoked. And you add the raw salmon at the end, after removing the pan from the heat, to just heat it through so it doesn’t get tough and dry. Yes, it will cook through in the simmering chowder in about 6 minutes. It is a great way to use salmon that may have been in the freezer for awhile.
(To make a tad richer, use more half & half and less chicken stock.)
Ingredients
1/4 cup butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon (optional)
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 – 1 teaspoon salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 pound red or russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 thick-cut bacon slices, cooked and crumbled or 1/3 cup cooked bacon crumbles
15.25 oz can corn kernels, drained
2 cups half-and-half
2 (8-ounce) uncooked salmon fillets, skinned and cut in 1” cubes
**Optional: add 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (Kraft is fine) and/or 1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
Preparation
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
Add onion, celery and carrots, and sauté 5 minutes or until tender.
Add flour; stir until mixture is smooth.
Add tarragon, cayenne, garlic powder, salt & pepper.
Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
Gradually whisk in chicken broth.
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly.
Add potato and bacon, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender. Stir in corn and half-and-half.
Cook 5 minutes or until heated through.
Remove pan from stove. Make sure stock is just at a low simmer. Add raw* salmon, and cheeses if you are using, gently stir well, put lid on pot and let sit 6 minutes…
Stir and Serve with Warm Bread
*Yes the salmon will cook through while in the simmering chowder while off the heat.
**Cheeses help thicken and bind the chowder. If it’s thick enough don’t bother with cheeses or just sprinkle on the soup before serving.
Cooking With Game 