Today is fish Friday at our house and although I love to cook, even I sometimes want a quick and hearty meal with little effort. So, I whipped up this salmon chowder that is hearty enough to be a meal in itself. When I buy a whole salmon or a half large boneless skinless fillet, I cut the meat into portion sizes and cut off the belly part and freeze it to use later in things like chowder. Here’s how I make it.
Start with a pound of thawed or fresh salmon, and cut into 1/2 inch chunks and set aside. Next, chop up a small onion and 1 1/2 cups chopped celery (make sure to use the leaves because they are loaded with flavor). Save some of the leaves for garnish.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to a large saucepan and add the onions, celery, and 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon. Sauté over med heat until tender. In the mean time, mix 2 teaspoons of chicken or fish base with 1 1/2 cups of water and add to the pot and simmer for 5 min.
This is the brand of base that I use, but in this recipe I used chicken base, they also have a fish flavored base if you prefer.
After simmering for 5 min., add 1 cup of half and half and heat to boiling. Mix 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with a 1/4 cup of water to make a slurry and add to pot stirring constantly and boil for 1 min. until thickened. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Next, add all of the cut up salmon and bring up the heat and simmer gently until salmon is cooked through.
Once salmon is cooked through, taste to see if you need to add any more salt & pepper.
Serve in big bowls garnished with celery leaves. Adding some crusty bread can make this a full meal that’s fast and easy to prepare and tastes delicious. Enjoy and happy cooking!
Prep Time: 15 min Cooking Time: 15 min
Difficulty: Easy Servings: 2 large or 4 small
Ingredients:
1 pound boneless skinless salmon cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion
1 1/2 cups chopped celery with leaves (Save some leaves for garnish
1 teaspoon of dried tarragon
2 teaspoons chicken base (more if you like it stronger)
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup half and half
Salt & Pepper