Smoked Haddock Chowder

Winter is officially here, and that means soup season has also arrived! For myself, soups are those incredible one pot meals that can come together in anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour, without slaving over the stove.

While living in the UK, it was quite common to have smoked fish in a variety of dishes. From Kedgeree (one of my all-time favourite too-many-glasses-of-wine cures), to chowders, smoked fish was the easiest way to get that beautifully delicate smokey flavour into foods.

Speaking of chowder, which I simply cannot get enough of when the weather turns cool, here is a straightforward recipe that has a nifty trick to get the smokey flavour into the soup base. This recipe calls for pancetta, but you can easily substitute for bacon or remove completely.

Photographer: Dan Robb

Smoked Haddock Chowder

Serves 6

Ingredients

400g (2) filets smoked haddock

1 litre cold water

1 bay leaf

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup pancetta, diced (optional)

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 leeks, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced

1 small fennel bulb, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 large parsnip, peeled and diced

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

½ lb baby potatoes, halved

3 sprigs fresh thyme

¾ lb fresh cod, cut into large chunks

1/3 cup heavy cream

Fresh dill, to garnish

Good quality olive oil, to garnish

Kosher salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Method

1. Place the smoked haddock into a large pot and cover with cold water. Add the bay leaf and bring to a boil. Skim off any foam. Remove from heat and let stand for 2 minutes before removing the fish and discarding the bay leaf. Reserve the fish and stock separately.

2. In a large soup pot, heat the oil and fry the pancetta for 2-3 minutes until golden. Remove the pancetta and set aside.

3. Add the butter, leek and fennel to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.

4. Add the parsnip, carrot, baby potatoes and thyme. Sauté for 5 minutes until the vegetables become slightly tender. Cover with the reserved stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

5. Remove 300ml of the soup to a blender and puree until smooth, add back into the pot.

6. Flake the reserved smoked haddock and add to the soup along with the fresh cod. Cook for 6 minutes, or until the fish is flaking. Stir through the cream and season to taste.

7. Serve the soup with pancetta pieces, fresh dill and a drizzle of good olive oil.

*Tip: If you prefer a thicker chowder, stir 1 heaping teaspoon of cornstarch into 2 tablespoons of the chowder broth. Add to the soup and cook out for a couple minutes until thickened.