Salmon Chowder - San Juan Islands Sunset - Pink Saturday

Ahoy, me hearties! Beware. This simple soup is a gift from Scandinavian immigrants who settled in the Pacific Northwest. This chowder, or a version of it, came with them. Fortunately, their recipes were passed on to us. This recipe utilizes a handful of ingredients to make an amazingly flavorful soup. It begins with a fish stock. I make mine from shrimp shells, the recipe for which can be found following the chowder recipe. It's simple to do, but if that seems too much work, dilute 1-1/2 cups bottled clam juice with 2 cups of water and proceed with the recipe. Once all the vegetables have been chopped, the soup will be table ready in 30 minutes. This is typical of the soups that are made on the San Juan islands. Easy, fast and flavorful. If you have an aversion to cream, replace it with half and half or whole milk. It will lack the richness of the real thing, but the chowder will still be delicious. I really hope you'll try this one. It's delicious and hearty enough to serve as a main course.

Salmon Chowder

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter

1-1/2 cups chopped onions

5 large boiling potatoes

4 cups fish stock

1 pound salmon, skinned and cut in 1/2-inch dice

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth

Salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup chopped fresh dill or parsley (optional)

Directions:

1) Melt butter in a 5 to 6-quart stock pot. Add onions and saute until soft. Stir in flour and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add potatoes and fish stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

2) Add the salmon and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add cream, wine, and salt and pepper

to taste. Simmer until just heated through. If using, stir in dill or parsley. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

To make fish stock from shrimp shells: Place fresh or frozen shells from 2 to 3 pounds shrimp in a large pot. Add 10 cups water and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises to surface. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside. Stock may be frozen.

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