Ingredients
- 2 brown onions, sliced finely
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, diced
- 1 stick celery, diced
- 70g unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 sprigs rosemary, leaves chopped
- 2 anchovy fillets, chopped
- 3 Tbsp plain flour
- 1 cup vermouth
- large pinch saffron threads, soaked in 1 Tbsp water
- 1¼ litres fish stock
- salt and ground white pepper
- 500g salmon fillet, diced
- 300g prawn meat
- 2 medium zucchini, diced
- 150g double cream
- 3 sprigs dill, picked
Salmon and potato chowder
Chowders first emerged in eastern Canada during the summer fishing seasons of the 18th century. French fishermen would sail from Brittany across the Atlantic to trawl for cod, salting their catch and returning it to Paris to sell at the markets. It was a lucrative trade and the seas around Newfoundland were generous.
Throughout these months the anglers would provide for themselves with the trimmings of fish that remained after the filleting was completed, stewing the bones into a hearty broth before adding the diced offcuts and handfuls of diced vegetables. The region was good dairy country too, and local cream would be stirred in to enrich the soup, fortifying the men against the bracing ocean winds.
It was a seafood version of the classic pot au feu stew that mothers in their family would have made for generations, hotchpotch of flavours making the best of what was available.
Method
Set a large saucepan over a medium heat and sauté the onion, carrot, potatoes and celery in butter for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic, rosemary and anchovies, then cook briefly.
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture, stir well, then cook for 1 minute until thickened, stirring constantly. Pour in the vermouth and saffron, then stir well to deglaze the base. Ad the fish stock, season lightly, then simmer gently for 30 minutes until smooth and aromatic.
Stir in the salmon, prawns, zucchini and cream, then cook for 5 minutes only, just until the fish is cooked. Serve with dill.
Submitted byFast Ed
Tips and Tricks
No need to throw out your celery leaves – they are great in salads, stews and soups and add a refreshing celery taste to juices and smoothies.
NOTE: The shape of a carrot has little to no affect on it’s taste or nutritional value. By picking carrots of all shapes and sizes – including the odd-shaped ones – you can help send a message to our food retailers that you value vegetables of all shapes and sizes and support a less-wasteful fresh food system.
Substituting fresh herbs for dried herbs can be a great option if you don’t have any fresh to hand or you know you can’t use it all. A general rule is to use the 3:1 ratio—use 3 times more fresh than dried.
