Fish Chowder with Wine and Bacon

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This is one of my favorite soups of all times. It’s so light and full of flavor, and I crave it on early spring days or cool summer evenings. It makes me think of lunches at small cafes at the Bulgarian seaside, or a well earned meal after hiking for two days in northern Minnesota. The beauty of this soup is that the fish is the star, and it is gently poached in the flavorful broth. I absolutely love the texture and the mild flavor of the Whitefish, and I think that it is the perfect fish for this soup. When cooked gentility in the broth, the Whitefish becomes buttery and velvety, and it’s such a wonderful compliment to the rest of the ingredients in the soup. 

I absolutely love Julia Child, and the original recipe of this fish soup is from her show “In Julia’s Kitchen With Master Chefs” with Jasper White. The original recipe was made with homemade fish stock. I modified several parts of the original recipe per my taste, and instead of homemade fish stock I used clam juice and water for the base of the soup. I found that calm juice flavors the broth just right, not too fishy or too bland compared to if you just used water. I do have to say that homemade fish stock would be absolutely wonderful for this soup, however I often find myself limited to the fish and the fish parts I can get at my local market, but this would never stop me from finding ways to make this beloved fish chowder even when limited by geographic location or ingredients..

Fish Chowder with Wine and Bacon

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 5 strips bacon
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch cubes (about 3-3.5 cups)
• 1/2 cup white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grgio)
• 1 (8oz) bottle of clam juice
• 3 cups of water
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1.5 pounds Whitefish (Pollock, Haddock, Sea Bass, or another white type fish works well too) skin removed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• zest of one lemon
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil  

Directions:

1. Chop the bacon in small pieces (about 1/4-inch). Heat 1tbs olive oil in a Dutch oven or a large pot, add the bacon and cook in until crispy by stirring from time to time so it doesn’t burn. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon, place on a paper towel-lined plate and set aside for later. Add the onion to your cooking pot with the leftover oil and bacon fat, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and the wine, stir and cook for additional 1 minute to allow the alcohol to escape. Add the clam juice, 3 cups of water, bay leaf, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer on low for about 20-30 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft. 

2. When potatoes are cooked, turn the heat off and remove the bay leaves. Cut the fish into large chunks (about 4-5 inches), do not worry the fish will break into smaller pieces when stirred around in the pot when cooked. The large chunks will prevent the fish from turning into a mush. Add the fish gently into the soup. Make sure the fish is nestled well and covered with liquid. Let it sit with heat off and undisturbed for 30 minutes. The hot liquid will gently cook the fish into a buttery, soft texture.  

3. After 30 minutes add the cream, lemon zest and lemon juice, and gently stir the pot. Taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice if needed. 

4. Ladle the soup into serving bowls, top with freshly chopped parsley and the reserved cooked bacon bits.  Enjoy!

Salt-baked fish with citrus and herbs

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“What is REAL, asked the (velveteen) rabbit one day...

Real isn’t how you are made,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.’

‘Does it hurt?’ asked the Rabbit. 

‘Sometimes,’ said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. ‘When you are Real you don’t mind being hurt.’ 

‘Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,’ he asked, ‘or bit by bit?’ 

‘It doesn’t happen all at once,’ said the Skin Horse. ‘You become. It takes a long time. That’s why it doesn’t happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don’t matter at all, because once you are Real you can’t be ugly, except to people who don’t understand...but once you are Real you can’t become unreal again. It lasts for always.” 

“He longed to become Real, to know what it felt like; and yet the idea of growing shabby and losing his eyes and whiskers was rather sad. He wished that he could become it without these”

– Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit

What is Real? Real is nourishing, for the soul, the heart, the body and the eyes. Real don’t only takes, but it gives back to us. It make us grow, change and evolve. Sometimes lovingly, sometimes painfully. Sometimes slow, sometimes fast. Sometimes the lessons get hard and we get lost. Sometimes so hard, that we give up. And sometimes, if we listen to our hearts, even if the pounding sound is soft but persistent, we might search for it again. Real loves us back. 

Real people and Real food are alike. They are not flashy or shiny. They grow slow, they are made of good stuff and they are good for us. We might not find them in the hip and most expensive places, in the crowd of glitter, gold and perfect size or shape. And they are not seen with someone’s eyes – but with their heart. 

Once you found them, don’t flip-flop or over-cook them. Let their true beauty shine with little or no intervention. And they...They will give back to you. All their beauty and love.

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This summer I had the chance to work with Eliesa Johnson on a project we called ‘the trout photoshoot’. Eliesa is a wonderful human being, full of joy, happiness and positive energy. A photographer and creative extraordinare and a very Real person.

For our project we decided to capture the beauty of locally sourced fish. In my search of the freshest fish, I found Jessie – a gentle humble man who wears his heart on his sleeve and who raises the most delicious trout in the Twin Cities. To get the fish as fresh as possible, I went to his farm and he caught the trout right there for me. While wondering around the fish, the pond and the farm I met Joe OLeary an incredibly talented designer and photographer with whom I had the most wonderful conversation about fish, good food, photography, creativity, wisdom and life. I left the farm with cooler full of fresh fish and with a heart filled with joy. I was a very lucky gal, in a search of fish I found some very real human beings.

Eliesa and I kept the photoshoot simple. We wanted the natural beauty of the fish to shine through. I used the same approach with the recipe. I let the fish to be the star. Minimum ingredients and simple recipe. I baked the trout whole in salt with herbs, oranges and lemons. The salt seals the fish and cooks it perfectly, allowing all the wonderful aromatics of the herbs and citrus to infuse the fish.  

I say this all the time, and I really, really mean it... I hope you try this wonderful recipe. You don’t need much for it, not even fancy cooking skills. Just love, a baking pan, some salt and a good fish. Have a wonderful day all and don’t forget to treasure the Real in your life.

Photography: Eliesa Johnson / Styling: Iglika Petrova

Photography: Eliesa Johnson / Styling: Iglika Petrova

Photography: Eliesa Johnson / Styling: Iglika Petrova

Satl-baked fish with citrus and herbs

 

Ingredients:
Serves 2-4

• 1 (1-1.5 pounds) fresh whole trout (head + tail intact), guts cleaned
• 1 box 16 oz. coarse kosher salt
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 orange, sliced
• 2 lemons, sliced
• 4-5 sprigs rosemary
• 4-5 sprigs thyme
• 4-5 sprigs fresh parsley

Directions:

1. Place the rack in the center the oven and preheat to 400 F.

2. Mix the salt and water in a large bowl (it should have the consistency of a wet sand). Spread about 1/3 of the mixture on a baking tray, roughly in the same shape and size as the fish.

3. Spread 1/3 of the lemon and orange slices + half of the herbs on top of the salt layer. Place fish on top of the bed of citrus and herbs and fill the cavity of the fish with the rest of the herbs and half of the remaining citrus. Top the fish with the last citrus slices and pile the rest of the salt by leaving the tail and head picking out. Press salt firmly with hands to create solid crust.

4. Bake fish for 40-50 minutes until the salt crust is dry, firm and lightly brown at edges.

5. Let fish cool for 20 minutes, then using a spatula or knife break the salt crust and remove the fish filets.

Serve with salad or a side you love. Don’t forget a glass of white wine!

Note: Try removing the top salt crust in one piece. It will be easy to remove the fish this way. If the fish is stuck and hard to remove in one piece, filet it in the pan. See this post on how to filet a whole fish.

Smoked trout toast with marinated cucumbers

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Sometimes I get up early on the weekends. I pour myself a cup of fresh hot coffee and I sit and gaze through the open kitchen window. I feel the breeze coming and messing up with my hair and I hear the chirping of the sparrows on the nearby tree. I love my slow weekend mornings when I see the people and their dogs on their morning walk. The dogs eagerly run away ahead of their owners, stretching the leashes and sniffing every tree and bush on their way. From time to time they look back at their owners with their tails wiggling with happiness, just as my happiness is quietly wiggling inside me on this sleepy summer morning. I am happy – for yet another great summer day.

Those are the days when I let everything happen on its own. I have no plans. I have no ideas. I can only sense that there is a great day ahead of me. 

I head to the farmers market and wonder around the produce tables for time unknown. I have no plan. I have no idea what to cook, but I am in the mood for something delicious. These are the times when I allow the vibrant colors, shapes and people to soak me in, to inspire me into my next kitchen adventure.

Today was one of these days when I wandered around each display table and touched and smelled everything that grabbed my attention. There were rows of boxes with giant tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes, colorful zucchinis, fresh herbs and fragrant flowers. Then my attention was grabbed by a cooler filled with fresh and smoked lake trout. I don’t know what attracted me so much. Maybe it was the different display or the visual break in the sea of vegetables. The trout looked so fresh and silvery shiny. I talked to the seller and he told me that the fish was caught in Lake Superior and smoked on Wednesday – just 3 days ago. I had to buy it and taste it. You know me, I love fish! 

As I walked back through the produce rows with the bag of smoked trout, I had an idea. Why don’t I grab some small cucumbers, red onions and fresh dill and why don’t I make a fresh pickled salad to top the trout with – ah, on a crunchy toast. Why not indeed?!

Back into my kitchen, I had a piece of smoked trout. It was the most delicious smoked fish I had ever had. It was buttery and flaky with a slight natural wood smoky flavor and just the perfect amount of salt. I could barely restrain myself from eating the whole fish. I marinated the thinly sliced cucumbers and onions by placing them in a bowl of white vinegar, salt and mustard seeds. I also made a tangy mixture of sour cream, capers, lime juice and zest to round up the flavors. Then I piled everything on a thick crusted rustic bread toast. It was a match made in heaven – especially with a glass of white wine.

As I took a bite of the mound of happiness I thought to myself – what a prefect day!

Ciao my dear friends! Thanks for reading and see you soon.

Smoked Trout Toast with Marinated Cucumbers

Ingredients:

Makes 4 big toasts

• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 5 medium cornichons (or 1 seedless cucumber), thinly sliced (tip: a vegetable peeler is great for the job)
• 1/2 cup of white wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds
• 1 small container (8 oz.) full fat sour cream
• 2 tablespoons capers, chopped
• 1/2 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 whole smoked trout, flaked and small bones removed
• 4 bread slices of large thick crusted loaf
• 5-6 sprigs of fresh dill

Directions:

1. Make the marinated cucumbers salad by placing the first 6 ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

2. Make the sour cream sauce by mixing the sour cream, chopped capers, lime juice and zest in a medium bowl. Lightly season with salt and pepper (the smoked trout contains a good amount of salt).

3. Toast the bread slices by popping them into the toaster.

4. Spread each toast with 1/4 cup of the sour cream sauce, then top with 1/4 of the smoked trout flakes. Finish by adding your desirable amount of marinated onions and cucumbers and top with a sprig of fresh dill.

Enjoy right away.