Fish Chowder

On an ever-going quest to thin out my freezer, I had some fish that needed a home.  I had picked up some red potatoes and found some clam juice on the clearance rack, so I cruised the internet for a fish chowder recipe.

My first stop is almost always www.allrecipes.com. This was the first fish chowder recipe that popped up.  The submitter said it came from the fishermen at Bodega Bay, California (as in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds.")  It's such a simple recipe and I wasn't sure it would have any depth of flavor but, BOY! was I wrong!

This is absolutely delicious.  I could have eaten the entire batch in one sitting.  Since there are just two of us, I halved the recipe, but you can double it or change the number of servings by going to the website to get proper ingredient amounts.

It (this 4 serving size) calls for 2 cups of potatoes.  I prefer red potatoes in chowders, but you could certainly use russets.  Also, they call to use cod (which would be wonderful), but others used other white fish like catfish.  I used Barramundi Sea Bass, but something like Swai or tilapia would be perfectly good.

FISH CHOWDER (4 servings)

1 Tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onion
2-3 fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups diced potatoes
1 pound cod or other white fish, diced into 1/2" cubes
1/8 tsp Old Bay seasoning
S&P to taste
1/2 cup clam juice
1/4 cup AP flour
1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

In a stockpot, melt butter over medium heat.  Saute onions, mushrooms, and celery in butter until tender.

Add chicken stock and potatoes; simmer for 10 minutes.

Add fish, and simmer another 10 minutes.

Season to taste with Old Bay seasoning, S&P.  Mix together clam juice and flour until smooth; stir into soup.  Remove from heat, and stir in evaporated milk.  Serve.

Recipe Source: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Fish-Chowder/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=fish%20chowder&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page&soid=sr_results_p1i1