Salmon Chowder
Salmon Chowder
Prep 20 mins Cook 28 mins Eat 38 mins
While you are in winter soup mode, make sure to get this Salmon Chowder on the menu. It’s creamy from the potatoes and milk and delicious from the vegetables you add. I had some home made fish stock in my freezer, but if you don’t have that, use some Better than Bouillion or vegetable stock. The salmon you add at the very end, is the cherry on top! Get some good stuff.
My Silver Salmon caught in Ketchikan, Alaska
This Salmon Chowder was memorable in many ways. We served the silver salmon I caught at a celebratory summer barbecue. It deserved to be center stage. But I made the chowder from some Pink Salmon that we caught on a fishing boat in Ketchikan, Alaska. I was on a Holland America Cruise which was awesome! and when I first looked at the excursions they offered, I knew I had to go on a fishing boat!
Dream Catcher fishing boat in Ketchikan, Alaska
My Minnesota roots were speaking to me, where every kid grows up with a fishing pole in hand to fish the 10,000 lakes.
Get a trip to Alaska on your bucket list.
Glacier Bay in Alaska is one of the most spectacular sights.
By the way, get yourself to Alaska. Put it on your bucket list. The scenic untouched beauty makes this a dream trip.
A back bay in Ketchikan Alaska where my Silver Salmon and the Pink Salmon in the Chowder once lived.
I have hundreds of photos from this trip, but I will share just a few to inspire you.
Our six-pack crew on Dream Catcher caught two silvers and two pink salmon.
So if you don’t have a fishing pole, pick up some fresh frozen pink salmon from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or order salmon from a purveyor in Alaska for this super delicious Salmon Chowder.
The base of the Chowder has salt pork or bacon drippings.
Cook onion with hunk of salt pork or bacon, then add the vegetables and herbs.
First cook the diced onion with a large piece of salt pork, bacon fat or oil. I store the fat I’ve cut off a ham (similar to salt pork) in the freezer. You can also purchase salt pork (an old-fashioned item) or use bacon or bacon fat you have rendered (melted) and stored in a jar. This will add tons of flavor to your chowder, but you can use your favorite oil instead. To thicken the chowder, add the butter and flour and let it cook into the onion mixture. Next add the diced celery and potatoes, thyme sprigs and a bay leaf.
Cook the chowder in the fish stock until the potatoes are soft. Then season with salt and pepper.
Add in the fish stock and let the mixture cook until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
Make your Salmon Chowder with fresh or frozen salmon
Pink Salmon delivered from Knudson Cove Marina Fish Processing in Ketchikan, Alaska.
The Alaskan pink salmon was delivered to me by Knudson Cove Marina Fish Processing. They overnighted the flash frozen fish when we returned home. It was fun to tell the story of my fish as we ate the Salmon Chowder, making this a very expensive dish compared to purchasing the fish at my local supermarket.
While you are waiting for the vegetables to cook, prepare and slice the salmon. First I skinned the salmon. Start with the tail end and hold the skin down, while you guide a sharp knife between the skin and fish, keeping the blade tilted slightly down toward the skin. The motion is not a sawing motion, but moving the blade from top to bottom and then again from top to bottom until the skin is removed. Cut each filet in half down the center line and then into 2-inch chunks.
Add in the milk and stir until thickened.
When the vegetables have cooked, add in the milk. I recommend using whole milk to add richness. Stir and let thicken. The starch in the cooked potatoes will thicken the broth. You can smash a few potato pieces to thicken more if desired.
Carefully add the salmon chunks just before serving.
Carefully add the salmon chunks just before serving.
The last step is to add the salmon chunks. When ready to serve, remove the salt pork, thyme stems and bay leaf, heat the chowder over low heat. Place the chunks of salmon carefully into the chowder and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and the fish will continue to cook from the heat of the chowder.
Salmon Chowder is creamy, delicate and delicious.
To serve, carefully spoon the salmon and potatoes into shallow soup bowls, adding in the broth. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, chopped parsley or chives to garnish.
Salmon Chowder
This delicious Salmon Chowder is creamy from the potatoes and milk and delicious from the vegetables you add. I use homemade fish stock. If you don’t have this, try my favorite substitute, Better than Bouillion diluted in water, clam juice or vegetable stock. I also like to use salt pork to cook the onion in, because it adds so much flavor. I store the fat I’ve cut off a ham (similar to salt pork) in the freezer. You can also purchase salt pork (an old-fashioned item) or use bacon or bacon fat you have rendered (melted) and stored in a jar.
1 ounce rendered fat from salt pork, bacon, bacon fat or oil
1 large onion, diced
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons flour
2 ribs celery, diced
2 pounds potatoes, cut in 1/2-inch pieces (preferably Yukon Gold)
1 bay leaf
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
3 cups fish stock, clam juice or vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 pounds salmon pieces
1-2 Tablespoons thyme leaves, chopped parsley or snipped chives for garnish
- First cook the diced onion with a large piece of salt pork, bacon fat or oil. The salt pork or bacon will add tons of flavor to your chowder, but you can use your favorite oil instead.
- To thicken the chowder, add the butter and flour and let it cook into the onion mixture. Next add the diced celery and potatoes, thyme sprigs and a bay leaf. Add in the fish stock and let the mixture cook until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
- While you are waiting for the vegetables to cook, prepare and slice the salmon. Remove skin from the salmon. Start with the tail end and hold the skin down, while you guide a sharp knife between the skin and fish, keeping the blade tilted slightly down toward the skin. The motion is not a sawing motion, but moving the blade from top to bottom and then again from top to bottom until the skin is removed. Cut each filet in half down the center line and then into 2-inch chunks. Set aside.
- When the vegetables have cooked, add in the milk. I recommend using whole milk to add richness. Stir and let thicken. The starch in the cooked potatoes will thicken the broth. You can smash a few potato pieces to thicken more if desired.
- The last step is to add the salmon chunks. When ready to serve, remove the salt pork, thyme stems and bay leaf, heat the chowder over low heat. Place the chunks of salmon carefully into the chowder and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and the fish will continue to cook from the heat of the chowder.
- To serve, carefully spoon the salmon and potatoes into shallow soup bowls, adding in the broth. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, chopped parsley or chives to garnish.
Servings: 6 – 599 calories per serving
Salmon Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 ounce rendered fat from salt pork bacon, bacon fat or oil
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 2 Tablespoons flour
- 2 ribs celery diced
- 2 pounds potatoes cut in 1/2-inch pieces (preferably Yukon Gold)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 cups fish stock clam juice or vegetable stock
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 2 pounds salmon pieces
- 1-2 Tablespoons thyme leaves chopped parsley or snipped chives for garnish
Instructions
- First cook the diced onion with a large piece of salt pork, bacon fat or oil. The salt pork or bacon will add tons of flavor to your chowder, but you can use your favorite oil instead.
- To thicken the chowder, add the butter and flour and let it cook into the onion mixture. Next add the diced celery and potatoes, thyme sprigs and a bay leaf. Add in the fish stock and let the mixture cook until the potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
- While you are waiting for the vegetables to cook, prepare and slice the salmon. Remove skin from the salmon. Start with the tail end and hold the skin down, while you guide a sharp knife between the skin and fish, keeping the blade tilted slightly down toward the skin. The motion is not a sawing motion, but moving the blade from top to bottom and then again from top to bottom until the skin is removed. Cut each filet in half down the center line and then into 2-inch chunks. Set aside.
- When the vegetables have cooked, add in the milk. I recommend using whole milk to add richness. Stir and let thicken. The starch in the cooked potatoes will thicken the broth. You can smash a few potato pieces to thicken more if desired.
- The last step is to add the salmon chunks. When ready to serve, remove the salt pork, thyme stems and bay leaf, heat the chowder over low heat. Place the chunks of salmon carefully into the chowder and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and the fish will continue to cook from the heat of the chowder.
- To serve, carefully spoon the salmon and potatoes into shallow soup bowls, adding in the broth. Sprinkle with thyme leaves, chopped parsley or snipped chives to garnish.
- ENJOY THIS RECIPE FROM FreshFoodinaFlash.com
Easy to make and so delicious.