Soup’s On—Holiday Open House

Jan Bailey’s Maine Fish Chowder

Ingredients

2 lbs. cod, haddock or pollock (wild frozen cod from grocery store works well)
3-4 large potatoes, cubed, skins on
2-3 chopped onions
2-3 tablespoons flour
1 pint cream (not half and half)
1 stick butter
2 bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper
1/2 cup real sherry (I use 1/3 to 1/2)

Preparation

I don’t think it matters in what order to add this to that, as long as they all wind up in the same pot!

1. Cube potatoes. Cook in salted water, just enough water to cover the potatoes.

2. Cook fish in water, just enough to cover it. Top with bay leaves, salt and pepper, sprinkle thyme all across the top of the fish.

3. Melt butter in another pot and cook onion until soft. Add flour, then cream. Thicken. Then add fish and fish water.

4. Add potatoes and potato water to fish, etc. Season with salt and pepper and thyme to taste. (I have to wait till it has settled before I can judge salt and pepper.)

5. Add sherry. Warm up or store in refrigerator, and further thicken if necessary. Gets better as the days pass by!