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Fish Chowder
I lived in Maine for 15 years, and if there's one
thing every person in Maine has, it's their own
secret recipe for fish chowder. Since these recipes
are secret, they're never written down. And if you
do manage to wheedle a recipe out of anyone, it's
liable to be along the lines of "Take some fish,
some potatoes, some onion...then cook it till it's
done."
I enjoyed many of the fish chowders served at the
countless fund-raising chowder suppers I attended,
but I always felt they were lacking something. Some
were too watery; some too chunky; and some just
downright tasteless. So I concocted my own recipe,
and it's the best fish chowder I've ever eaten, if I
may so modestly say so. Unfortunately for those who
are timid in the kitchen, it's a little bit vague --
just like many Maine recipes. But go ahead and try
it; keep tasting till it tastes right to you, and
you will have developed your own secret chowder
recipe!
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1 large (or 2 medium) onions, chopped
2 large potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces (they
don't need to be peeled; just scrubbed and dried)
1 to 1 1/2 pounds boned fish fillet, such as cod,
halibut, hake, cusk, flounder, or other plain white
fish
3 cups (approx.) half and half, milk, or evaporated
milk
1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt
1/2 to 1 teaspoon thyme
pepper to taste
Melt the butter or margarine in a large saucepan.
Add the chopped onions and cook till onions are
golden but not brown. Put the diced potatoes atop
the onions, and add water to just cover. Then lay
fish (just as you bought it; not cut up, unless it's
more than 1-inch thick, in which case it should be
cut into pieces) atop potatoes and add water to just
cover. Bring to a boil and simmer just till potatoes
are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes; fish will be
cooked at this point, too. Take a fork and stir
soup, breaking up fish.
Add half and half/milk/evaporated milk, and stir to
blend. Season to taste with salt, pepper and thyme.
Heat just to a simmer, but don't actually let soup
boil; let it sit for 10 minutes or so to let flavors
blend. Serve hot, with a pat of butter or margarine
on top.
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