Sound the chow bell! Episode #2 of Wild at Home™ is all about... CHOW-der!
Using Pacific cod adds a sweet and subtle briny profile to the chowder. It's the perfect meal on a chilly spring day. This one-pot wonder is a recipe with many possible substitutions to make it flexible when your pantry is low.
Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 hr 20 min
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 1½ pounds Pacific cod or lingcod, cubed
- Kosher salt
- 8 ounces bacon
- 2-4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 2 large carrots, chopped
- 2 large yukon gold or yellow potatoes, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, stripped and chopped
- 4 cups half & half
- 1 cup clam juice
- 1 cup water
DIRECTIONS
Prepare meats:
Place cubed cod in a bowl and season liberally with kosher salt. Let rest 20-30 minutes.
Cook bacon in a large, dutch oven (or a large soup pot) until crispy. Remove the bacon but leave the rendered fat for cooking vegetables.
Add vegetables:
Add your mirepoix mix of carrots, onion, and celery to the bacon fat, and cook on low until everything is soft, about 10 minutes. Add 1-2 Tbsp butter while cooking if vegetables get dry.
Bring together:
Once mirepoix is done, add clam juice and water to the pot and bring to gentle simmer over medium heat. Break bacon into small pieces and add to mirepoix mixture with potatoes and thyme. Cook until potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes.
Steam fish:
Place the cod on the top of the ingredients in the dutch oven, but do not stir to combine with other ingredients. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until fish is white and flakes apart. Be careful not to over cook the fish.
Stir and serve:
Add the half & half and 2 Tbsp butter and bring mixture back to a low boil with the lid off until the chowder thickens, about 10 minutes. Gently mix all ingredients to combine, but keeping the pieces of fish intact.
Serve immediately with crusty sourdough or crackers and take a seat on the bus to Chowder Town.
Substitutions:
- Fresh thyme with dried time. 1 Tbsp fresh = 1 tsp dried
- Half & half by whisking together 1 cup whole milk and 1 Tbsp melted unsalted butter
- Clam juice for chicken broth
- Feel free to add clams or other seafood (like salmon!) you love when you add the cod
- If the chowder is not thickening enough or you like a very thick chowder base, make a slurry by whisking together 2 Tbsp cornstarch with ¼ cup cold water. Slowly add to the pot until your chowder is the desired consistency.
