Haddock Chowder

Jillian and Malcolm of From Away are Via Los Angeles’ February Food Bloggers. Their recipes are a snippet from the timeline of their relationship. Each week, this food blogging power couple will take us on their culinary journey. This week we start in Maine. Get to know more about Jillian and Malcolm’s Foodie Love Story here!

In crafting this Haddock Chowder, I thought a lot about the first time I ever had it in a restaurant in my husband’s home state of Maine. New England is where I also grew up, the place that made me; it is comprised, among other things, of strong seasons, fresh seafood, and a diligent work ethic I did not inherit. When I moved far away and discovered that I was lonely for fall, for the salt marshes of my Connecticut shoreline, for Protestant church bells and deep woods, I was strengthened by the deep rock there. It could not be extracted from my heart and I knew that I must return to New England to rediscover myself. This dish absolutely conveys what I love about this region. It is simple, it is comforting – It is home. I hope you love this recipe and really feel how imbued it is with place-affection and get that sense of a wood-stove heated cozy kitchen when you’re making it in your home.

Classic Haddock Chowder
Adapted from Maine Food and Lifestyle

Ingredients:

2 lbs haddock filet
4 strips thick-cut bacon
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 leek, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
2 1/2 cups red potatoes, cubed
1 cup clam juice
1 cup white wine
1 cup water
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped
1 pint half and half
Salt & pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons butter
Chives, chopped

Method:

In my soup pot I cooked 4 strips of chopped, thick-cut bacon over medium heat for about fifteen minutes. With a slotted spoon I removed the bits to a paper towel then added to the fat a diced yellow onion, half a leek that I had forgotten about in the crisper, and a celery stalk, which was optional, but I was feeling daring. The vegetables softened romantically.

I put in the pot 2 and a half cups of diced red potatoes, a cup of clam juice, a cup of white wine, a cup of water. I turned up the stove to boil the liquid goods, then down to a simmer for fifteen minutes while I readied the other ingredients. I started stripping thyme from its stalks and cut the tiny leaves into smaller pieces, which may or may not have been mincing. I did this until I was bored and added my efforts to a pint of half and half. This went into the soup.

Season with salt and pepper. And then the fish, three thick fillets I cut into good-size hunks. The original recipe specified 2-3 inch chunks, but I have no eye for measurements and I don’t have a ruler lying around anywhere, so I did my best. Maybe you know what an inch looks like. So, the soup simmered on medium for 5 minutes, until the haddock became opaque and fell apart somewhat. Not sure if this is the ideal outcome, it’s possible I stirred too vigorously; but this is how it happened. Adhering to the instructions, I allowed it to cool with the lid off. And into the fridge it goes. Tomorrow, when we are chowder-ready, I will slowly heat the contents of the pot and add two tablespoons of butter.

Remember the reserved bacon? You put it in the fridge I hope? Garnish with those crumbles and perhaps some snipped chives, if I am guessing correctly. Yes, that is precisely what I will do. Stay tuned to find out if I serve this bad boy in a bread bowl. Cliffhanger…