Making Halibut Chowder My Way
Alright, so I decided to tackle some halibut chowder the other day. Had a nice piece of halibut sitting there, seemed like the right thing to do, you know? Gets chilly, you want something warm.
First thing, gotta get everything ready. Prep is key, otherwise you’re running around like crazy later. I chopped up the usual suspects:
- Some onion
- Celery stalks
- A couple of carrots
- Potatoes, diced kinda small so they cook faster
Oh, and bacon. Gotta start with bacon. I chopped up maybe four strips, threw them in my big pot over medium heat. Let ’em get nice and crispy. Scooped the bacon bits out, left most of that good greasy stuff in the pot. That’s flavor, right there.
Tossed the onion, celery, and carrots into that bacon fat. Stirred ’em around until the onions got soft, maybe five, seven minutes? Didn’t really time it, just watched ’em. Then I sprinkled in a bit of flour, stirred that around for a minute to cook off the raw taste. Helps thicken things up later.
Next up, liquids. Poured in some clam juice – yeah, I know, halibut chowder, but clam juice adds that seafood background taste. And some chicken broth. Whisked it all together so there weren’t any flour clumps. Then dumped in the potatoes.
Brought that whole mess up to a simmer, then turned the heat down low. Put the lid on kinda crooked, let it bubble away gently. Gotta let those potatoes get tender. Checked ’em after about 15 minutes, poked one with a fork. Almost there.
While the potatoes finished, I cut the halibut into chunks. Nothing fancy, just bite-sized pieces. Didn’t want them too small, they fall apart easy.
Once the potatoes were soft, it was time for the fish. Gently laid the halibut pieces into the pot. You gotta be careful here. Put the lid back on, let it cook for just a few minutes. Halibut cooks super fast, maybe 5 minutes tops. You’ll see it turn white and start to flake.
Final touches. Turned the heat way down low. Poured in some heavy cream. Could use milk or half-and-half, but I went for the cream. Stirred it in real gentle. Added those crispy bacon bits back in. Salt, pepper, tasted it. Needed a bit more salt. Maybe a dash of hot sauce, just for kicks.
And that was pretty much it. Ladled it out into bowls. Looked pretty good, smelled even better. Thick, creamy, chunks of fish and potato. Definitely hit the spot. Making chowder isn’t hard, just takes a little chopping and some patience while it simmers.
