A very special guest post this evening from Lisa’s brother Chris (yes, another Chris…) and his girlfriend Jenn — a delicious Salmon Chowder from The Ultimate Soup Bible. C&J made an enormous cauldron of the chowder that fed nine or ten lucky souls over the course of two nights. I only had my point-and-shoot camera with me, so I wasn’t able to get as good a picture of the chowder as I normally would — guess, we’ll just have to make it ourselves! (As if we really needed an excuse…) We served the chowder with a few sides and salads we’ve made before, including these roasted yams, a salad featuring arugula and roasted bell peppers, and one featuring layered beets and avocados.

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Overheard:

This is wonderful, who made this?

I really like that the broth isn’t super-thick like in a lot of chowders.

Tell Chris this chowder is better than a few others I’ve had recently…

Oooh, I like the corn in this. Good addition!

The dill is great — perfect amount.

Great success!

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Salmon Chowder
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 leek, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
7 cups chicken stock
2 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 lb salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 can corn, drained
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
salt and freshly ground pepper

Melt the butter in a large pan. Add the onion, leek, and fennel and cook for 6 minutes until softened. Stir in the flour and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Add the chicken stock and potatoes to the mixture in the pan. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat , cover, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add the salmon and simmer gently 3-5 minutes until just cooked. Stir in the corn, milk, cream, and chopped dill into the pan. Cook until just warmed through, stirring occasionally. Do not boil. To thicken, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot. Adjust the seasoning to taste, then ladle into warm bowls.

4 (large) Servings