Salmon Chowder
User Reviews
4.9
Salmon Chowder
Description
This Salmon Chowder recipe begins by simmering salmon fins, bones, and heads with onion, carrot, celery, white wine, dried mushrooms, and bay leaves to create a rich, flavorful broth. After straining, the broth serves as the base for the chowder. Bacon is rendered until crispy to add savory depth, and its fat is used to sauté onion and celery. Potatoes then cook in the broth until tender, followed by fresh or thawed corn and skinless, boneless salmon chunks gently cooked to maintain tenderness.
The chowder is enriched with heavy cream and seasoned with black pepper and fresh chopped dill, giving a creamy texture with herbaceous brightness. The crispy bacon pieces are stirred back in, adding texture contrasts and meaty flavor. This chowder offers a comforting mix of savory, creamy, and fresh notes, with a good balance of protein, starch, and vegetables.
Serve this chowder warm as a filling lunch or dinner. It pairs well with crusty bread and can accommodate different salmon types or trout. The bacon can be omitted for a lighter version, using olive oil instead, and varied dried mushrooms can be used for the broth. The recipe recommends avoiding milk in place of cream to prevent curdling issues, ensuring a smooth chowder.
Ingredients
SALMON BROTH
- 3 salmon heads gills removed, up to 4 pounds total
- 3 salmon fins
- 3 salmon bones
- salt
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrot chopped
- 2 celery chopped, stalks
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 dried mushrooms preferably matsutake, handful
- 2 bay leaf
CHOWDER
- 1/4 pound Bacon thick cut
- 1 cup onion yellow or white, chopped
- 2 celery chopped, stalks
- 1 1/2 pounds potato peeled and diced
- 5 tp 6 cups fish broth or 4 cups chicken broth plus 1 to 2 cups water
- 1 to 2 pounds salmon meat cut into chunks, skinless, boneless
- 1 cup corn fresh or thawed
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- black pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons dill for garnish, fresh, chopped, or chives
Instructions
- To make the broth, put all the broth ingredients into the pot and cover with water. Bring to a bare simmer, or even just let it steep like a tea, for 30 to 45 minutes. Strain the broth. Pick any stray salmon meat you want off the bones and reserve. Discard the rest of the solids and reserve the broth.
- Wipe out the pot, add the bacon, and turn the heat to medium, and cook the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon. Eat 1 piece. Chop the rest and reserve.
- Sauté the onion and celery in the bacon fat, stirring often, until they are soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the salmon broth and bring to a simmer. Add salt to taste. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- When the potatoes are tender, add the corn and the chunks of salmon. Cook gently until the salmon is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the chopped bacon, dill, heavy cream and black pepper.
Notes
- Any salmon or trout variety can be used; the head and collars provide fattier, more flavorful meat.
- Skip the bacon if desired and substitute olive oil to reduce fat content.
- Use dried mushrooms beyond matsutake to add earthy undertones to the broth.
- Do not substitute milk for cream, as it may cause curdling affecting the chowder's texture.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 409 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 409kcal | 20% |
| Carbohydrates | 12g | 4% |
| Protein | 33g | 66% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 8g | 40% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 5g | 29% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 99mg | 33% |
| Sodium | 1248mg | 52% |
| Potassium | 1103mg | 23% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 3054IU | 61% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 152mg | 15% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
4.9
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