Recipe Background
Dock Chowder harmonizes seafood, herbs, and creamy textures, elevating familiar ingredients into a dish perfect for sharing.
Dock Chowder ignites the senses with its briny aroma and vivid medley of seafood and herbs. The scent of leeks and garlic, softened in warm oil, fills the kitchen. As you add the prosciutto, a sizzle brings a savory crispness—a delightful contrast to the tender fish. Each spoonful offers layers, from the silken potatoes to the creamy swirl of crème fraîche. These textures blend into a comforting, yet sophisticated dish.
Cooking this chowder is a satisfying ritual. The sight of the stock bubbling around the potatoes hints at the rich flavor being coaxed from each ingredient. One practical tip is to firmly press the potatoes into the stock. This ensures they cook evenly, absorbing every bit of flavor the pan has to offer. Later, as the fish fillets gently poach, the broth envelops them, ensuring each flake remains moist.
Sharing this chowder is like hosting a miniature feast. The final touches—the scattering of chives, extra thyme, and the spiced kick from chili flakes—invite personalization. Guests will savor the experience, each bite a tribute to simple, assertive flavors that evoke coastal tales. It's a dish that speaks to the soul, perfect for gathering older friends and family around the table, fostering connection over conversation and steaming bowls.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil divided
- 3 slices prosciutto fat trimmed and cut into strips
- 2-3 leeks thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic finely chopped
- 3 lemon thyme sprigs plus extra leaves, to taste, for garnish
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes unpeeled, scrubbed, sliced 1/4-inch-thick
- 3 cups vegetable stock hot
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- chili flakes to taste
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 pound salmon fillet skinless
- 1/2 pound pollack or haddock fillets skinless
- 3 tablespoons crème fraîche or sour cream half-fat
- chives to taste, snipped, for garnish
Directions
- In a large, deep sauté pan, add 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat.
- Add the prosciutto to the oil and fry until crisp, about 2 minutes.
- Use a slotted spoon to transfer the fried prosciutto to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain, letting any excess oil drain back into the pan.
- Add the remaining oil to the pan.
- Add the leeks, the garlic, 3 of the thyme sprigs, and the bay leaves to the oil and cook until the leeks start to soften, but keep their color, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the potatoes to the leek mixture and fry, stirring and turning occasionally, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the hot vegetable stock and the boiling water to the potato mixture and gently press the potatoes down to ensure they are completely covered with the liquid.
- Bring the potato mixture to a boil over high heat, uncover, and boil vigorously until the potatoes are almost cooked and the liquid slightly thickens, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chili flakes, the salt, and the black pepper to the potato mixture and gently stir to combine.
- Reduce the heat to medium and top the potato mixture with the salmon and the pollock.
- Season the top of the salmon and the pollock with the black pepper and gently press the fish down into the broth until just submerged.
- Cover and simmer until the salmon and the pollock reach an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer the chowder from the heat and let it sit to allow it to gently finish cooking, about 5-10 minutes.
- Transfer the thyme sprigs and the bay leaves from the chowder and discard.
- Add the crème fraîche to the chowder and gently stir until creamy.
- Put the chowder over medium heat on the stovetop to reheat, about 2-3 minutes.
- Transfer the potatoes and the fish to wide, shallow individual serving bowls, allowing the fish to break into pieces. Top with the broth, the chives, the extra thyme leaves, and the crisp prosciutto.
- Serve.
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