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Fish Chowder From Away
Though fish chowder is a specialty of Maine, a state
I called home for 14 years, I wouldn't dare come up
with a "Maine Fish Chowder" recipe. I wasn't born
there, nor were my parents, so no matter how long I
lived there, I would always be labeled "from away."
My son was born in the seaside town of Rockport, but
he's not a native Mainer, either; I wasn't born
there, my parents weren't born there... well, you
get the picture. Yup, it's a pretty special thing,
being a Maine Native; not many qualify, and those
that do... well, they're pretty proud of it.
Anyway, here's my version of a comforting old
favorite. Substitute clams for the fish, if you
like, and you've got creamy New England clam
chowder. If you use fish, feel free to use one of
the "cheaper" cuts, like hake, cusk, catfish, or
haddock; no use splurging on tuna or Chilean sea
bass here. That would be like wearing high heels to
Roto-till the garden; sure, you can do it, but
what's the point?
1 medium to largish onion, peeled and chopped in
1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
2 to 3 tablespoons butter
1 large or 2 medium boiling potatoes, skinned and
cut into 1/2-inch or so cubes
about 1 pound of fish, boneless filet preferred*
1 12-ounce can evaporated milk
salt
pepper
thyme
*If you use fish with the bones in, you'll have to
pick them out midway through the chowder preparation
(see below).
Melt the butter in a medium-large saucepan, and
saute the onions slowly till they're soft and just
starting to turn a light, golden brown. Layer the
potatoes evenly atop the onion, and lay the fish
atop the potato. Add water just to cover the potato.
Cover the pan, and simmer gently until the potato is
cooked through; this will probably take less than 10
minutes. By this time, the fish should have cooked
through, too (via steam). If there are bones in the
fish, carefully pick them out.
Use a fork to gently break up the fish and stir it
into the chowder. Add the can of evaporated milk,
and salt, pepper and thyme (just a tiny bit) to
taste. Heat gently till the chowder is steaming, but
not even simmering; it should just be very hot.
Serve immediately, or cool down, refrigerate, reheat
and serve within a few days. Yield: Four substantial
servings, or six smaller ones.
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