Published: August 17, 2008 08:00 pm      

Recipe of the Week: Smoked Salmon Chowder

Maggie Perkins, resident of Traverse City and a student at the University of Montana, worked at Gwin's Lodge in Cooper Landing, Alaska this summer. The lodge's restaurant is known for their smoked salmon chowder and is kind enough to share the recipe with guests.

Gwin's Smoked Salmon Chowder

10 strips bacon

2 large onions, minced

4 stalks celery, minced

3 carrots, finely chopped

5 green onions, finely diced

3/4 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 c. water

1 t. black pepper

1 1/2 T. dry dill weed

salt to taste

6 c. fish stock (or vegetable stock)

8 red potatoes, chopped

1 c. flour

1 c. butter

5 c. milk

3/4 c. white wine (optional)

1/4 c. lemon juice

1 1/2 lbs. smoked salmon (sockeye preferred), flaked

1 1/2 c. corn kernels

Chop bacon and saute in a large pot with onions, celery, carrots, green onions and parsley for 4-5 minutes over medium heat. Slowly add in water and cover for 1 minute. Add spices and fish stock and simmer until vegetables are tender. Add chopped red potatoes and simmer until tender.

In a separate sauce pan, mix the butter and flour over medium heat and stir to make a roux, or paste. Before adding this mixture to the pot, add a few large spoonfuls of the hot broth to the roux for thinning and to bring it to the proper temperature.

Add this thinned roux to the pot with vegetables and broth. Stir thoroughly and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add milk, stir and bring to a simmer, allowing it to thicken slightly. Add white wine, lemon juice, corn and flaked smoked Alaskan sockeye salmon. Continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the desired thickness is obtained.

Serves 8.

A little water may be added if the chowder becomes too thick.

Enjoy cooking? How would you like a new apron? If you have a recipe that friends and relatives rave over and ask for, please send it, along with your name, mailing address, phone number and some details on you, where you got the recipe and the reactions it gets to: Recipe of the Week, Record-Eagle, P.O. Box 632, Traverse City, MI 49685; fax (231) 946-8632.