Really good recip. fast and easy. Good last night, a lot better today. I did not put the dairy in until each bowl is served. it will last longer in the fridge without it.
Quick Fish Chowder With Hot Butter Crackers
Ready In
25 min
INGREDIENTS
Yield:
4 servings
FOR THE CHOWDER
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large fennel bulb with some greenstems (about 12 ounces), trimmed and sliced (about 4 cups)
12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes (2to 3), thinly sliced into rounds
1 large shallot (4 ounces), thinlysliced
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
PREPARATION
Step
1
Prepare the chowder: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a large potover medium-high heat. Once the butter is foamy, add the fennel,potatoes, shallot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper andcook, stirring occasionally, until the fennel and shallots areslightly translucent and softened, 4 to 5 minutes.
Step
2
Add the clam juice and 2 cups water and bring to a boil over highheat. Cover the pot with a lid, adjust the heat to low and simmeruntil the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
Step
3
As easy as it is delicious, this chowder bypasses celery in favor of fennel, which gives the soup a littleanise flavor and some extra heft. The vegetables are thinly sliced and cooked together to help speed upthe cooking process; using a mandoline can accelerate your prep even more. Half-and-half is a lighteroption than heavy cream and helps finish the soup with a little richness. Cod is recommended here (orflounder or halibut, depending on what’s available), but feel free to substitute with shrimp or clams,adjusting cook times as needed. The crushed saltines are flavored with hot paprika, which is a smokysubstitute for the bacon that is usually found in a classic chowder.
Kosher salt and freshly groundblack pepper
1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
1 pound boneless, skinless cod fillet(or flounder or halibut), cut into 1-inch pieces
¼ cup half-and-half
FOR THE CRACKERS
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ½ teaspoons hot or smokedpaprika
Kosher salt
12 to 15 saltine crackers
While the soup is simmering, prepare the crackers: Melt 2tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.Swirl in the paprika and turn off the heat. Lightly crush thesaltines into the saucepan in small bite-size pieces and toss tocoat in the seasoned butter. Season with salt and set aside.
Step
4
Once the potatoes are tender, stir in the cod and half-and-half,raise the heat to medium, cover and simmer until the cod iscooked through, 3 to 4 minutes. Season generously with salt andpepper.
Step
5
Divide the chowder among bowls and top with the seasonedcrackers.
