Wednesday Wind-down: Smoked Haddock Chowder

I just looked out the window and nearly got hit by lightning. Yikes.

What with all the fire and floods in the sky, Smoked Haddock Chowder will be the perfect dinner this evening. You’ll find that smoked haddock is one of the cheapest pieces of fish around: I got two big fillets for under €5 in my local fishmonger.

This is one of my favourite fall-back meals: it’s quick, comforting, easy to make, and filling – yet it looks and feels like a real treat. I took this picture when I’d eaten all the best of it, so there wasn’t a lot of fish left, but you’ll get a rough idea of what it might look like.

My version contains a bit more vegetables than you might usually find and I also add some cherry tomatoes.

This will serve four people, and it shouldn’t cost more than €10 to put together.

Ingredients

• 2 fillets of smoked haddock, ideally undyed
• 1 leek, peeled and chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped into cubes
• 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
• A handful of cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
• 1/2 pint of milk
• 1/2 pint of vegetable or fish stock
• 1 bay leaf
• A large handful of fresh, finely chopped parsley
• Fresh chopped chives (optional)
• 1 egg yolk (if the soup needs thickening)
• A knob of butter
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

• Melt some butter in a pot, add the chopped leeks and carrots and sweat with a lid on for about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, place the whole haddock fillets in a pan, cover with the milk, and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to cook for five minutes.
• Take the fish from the pan and carefully remove the skin and bones. Flake into pieces, reserving the milk.
• Put all the vegetables, including the potatoes, into the pot, along with the bay leaf, fish, vegetable stock, and milk.
• Cover and cook on a low heat until the potatoes are soft – around 20 minutes. Add the halved tomatoes after 5 minutes.
• When it’s ready, use a fork to mash the potatoes slightly; his will thicken the soup. If it’s a bit too thin for your liking, stir in an egg yolk at the end. If it’s too thick for you, throw in a drop more milk or stock.
• Add the chopped parsley and (optional) chives, along with some salt and pepper to taste. Stir well.
• Serve with some crusty bread and hide from the lightning.