Smoked Haddock Chowder

Ingredients

• •2 fillets boneless smoked haddock fillets
• •2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• •1 whole leek
• •1 stalk celery
• •½ teaspoon dry mustard
• •1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes
• •4 sprigs thyme
• •¼ cup heavy cream
• •1 tablespoon fresh chives
• •1 serving Common Crackers
• •Ingredient info: Look for smoked haddock
• •also known as finnan haddie
• •at better supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and pikeplacefish.com.

Cooking Instructions

1. 1.

   Place haddock fillets in a large wide pot. Cover with 5 cups cold water. Place pot over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until fish is just cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer fish to a plate; let cool. Discard skin and any scales; flake fish into large pieces. Set a strainer over a medium bowl; strain poaching liquid and reserve.

   15 min

2. 2.

   [To substitute smoked whitefish for haddock: Discard bones and skin from 1 1/2 pounds smoked whitefish. Put fish, 2 thick-cut slices smoked bacon (about 2 ounces), and 4 cups water in a large wide pot. Bring to a simmer over medium heat; remove fish with a slotted spoon after 5 minutes. Continue simmering liquid (with bacon) until reduced to 2 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain liquid; discard solids. Add 3 cups water; set aside.]

   20 min

3. 3.

   Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add leek and celery and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until soft and translucent, about 15 minutes. Stir in dry mustard, then reserved poaching liquid, potatoes, and thyme sprigs. Increase heat to medium-high and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes.

   27 min

4. 4.

   With a slotted spoon, remove half of the cooked potatoes and place in a small bowl. Finely mash potatoes with a fork; return to chowder to thicken. Remove chowder from heat and stir in reserved fish, cream, and chives. Serve in warmed bowls with Common Crackers .

   10 min