There’s no rule that says you must serve nachos for your Super Bowl shindig. How about paying tribute to the two teams with a super bowl of chowder featuring salmon from the west coast and cod from the east?
Unlike the football teams, these two fish play together nicely in this chowder, and the bonus for the cook is that thinner pieces of fish and even frozen fish works well for this chowder.
One big difference between this chowder and most: it uses fat-free cream (plus a little real butter) for a lighter, yet just as tasty concoction. If you’ve only had canned clam chowder, be aware that this version has a thinner consistency that is traditional in Maine. Earn yourself an extra point for serving the chowder with Nabisco Crown Pilot crackers (typically only found in New England, sorry); oyster crackers or nice crusty rolls will also do just fine.
Fish Chowder
Two fish play together nicely in this chowder, and the bonus for the cook is that thinner pieces of fish and even frozen fish works well for this chowder.
Ingredients
- cegetable cooking spray
- 3 ounces Canadian bacon chopped
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 1 ¼ cups chopped onions or you can use leeks
- 1 cup celery chopped
- 1 ½ tsp. dried thyme leaves
- 3 Tbsp. flour
- 4 8-ounce bottles clam juice
- ¾ tsp. MSG popular brand names for MSG are Ac’cent® and Ajinomoto®
- 12 ounces scrubbed potatoes unpeeled potatoes, diced (roughly 2 cups of pieces)
- 1 1/4 lbs. salmon skin removed (ask the fish monger to remove the skin for you)
- 1 1/4 lbs. cod
- 1 ½ cups fat-free half-and-half
- pinch ground black pepper
- chopped chives or scallion tops optional, for garnish
Instructions
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Spray a medium-sized stockpot with the cooking spray. Over medium heat, add the Canadian bacon and cook until lightly browned and slightly crisp, stirring constantly. Add the butter, onions, celery and thyme. Cook 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
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Using a wire whisk, whisk in the flour and continue to cook and stir a minute or two until the flour is incorporated and all the vegetables are coated (the mixture will be quite paste-like at this point).
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Pour in the clam juice, one bottle at a time, whisking the liquid into the vegetable mixture until it’s well combined before adding the next bottle of clam juice. (It will be very thick at first; don’t worry, it thins out just fine). Continue until all clam juice has been incorporated, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
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Add the monosodium glutamate and the diced potatoes. Simmer mixture 10 to 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot occasionally.
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Cut the fish into bite-sized chunks. Add the fish pieces to the pot and cook another 5 to 10 minutes or until all fish pieces are cooked through. Stir in the fat-free half-and-half, adding more if you prefer a thinner consistency. Add pepper; taste and adjust the seasonings. Ladle chowder into bowls and garnish with chopped chives or green onions, if desired.
Find more delicious, savory recipes in the MSGdish Savory Cuisine Corner.