Today's Recipe is Whitefish Chowder!

Stockpot with Fish

My Grandparents lived on the Naples Bay and I grew up fishing and crabbing my summer vacations away. There was a dock with the helpful nightlight, attracting mosquitoes and bugs, luring in the medium sized game fish called Snook for this little girl to catch. My Grandfather had a great little fishing boat that we would take out to Gordon Pass and catch the big Snooks early in the morning. These were wonderful times! This beautiful game fish became delicious filets and the bones and heads became a rich fish stock that would become a staple in my soup repertoire. Since we are not living on the Gulf Coast (alas), we will need to befriend our local fishmonger, or make do with the resources we have handy. This recipe is geared for the later situation!

Veggie Options for Stock

Rough Veggies in Stockpot

                                                                             The Stock:

You will need the leaves and outer ribs of a bunch of celery, 2 carrots, 1 small onion, 4 cloves of garlic, and any other aromatic vegetable you like. I add bok choy. I like the flavor and it is high in Potassium, a mineral David and I both need. Chop all coarsely and place in a heavy stockpot.  Add some whole peppercorns, bay leaves and whole leaf thyme. Cover with water. Add 1 bottle clam juice and either your fish bones from the market or donate one filet of cod to the cause. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 25 min. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside.

Roux

Mirepoix and Roux

The Roux and Mirepoix

Assemble our mirepoix.  This is generally the starting point for most soups.  Dice the following:

5 inside ribs celery, 1 sweet onion, 2 potatoes.

Melt 1 C Butter in large saucepan. Add 1 C flour. Whisk until smooth. Cook over medium heat until slightly golden. Add mirepoix veggies and mix thoroughly.  Slowly add stock, stirring constantly. You will want this to be a bit thin as it will thicken as it cooks. Add four filets of cod, thyme, bay leaf, white pepper and salt to taste. Simmer 20 minutes.

The Finish:

Break up the fish pieces. Soup should be as thick as you like. The longer it cooks, the thicker. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Finish with heavy cream to thin and make a pretty white color. Enjoy!