Summer Rockfish Chowder

We finally, finally, got some rain. A lot of it too, it’s been raining just about every day now for the past week. We definitely needed it, and it's a refreshing break from the 100 degree days we've had for the past few weeks. 

It's funny how fast we can acclimate to the weather, and how a swift shift in temperature, even just a few degrees, can feel so dramatic. The house felt cold for the first time in a while, so chowder was in order.

We make fish or crab chowder often, usually later in the year, but this quick cool down had us in the mood for something warm and creamy. That being said, it’s still hot here, so we made this chowder a lot lighter than our winter variety. This version is made mostly with stock, and finished with just a little cream (or half and half, in this case). This yields a creamy and rich soup that’s still light enough for a humid summer evening, post storm.

You can make this with any mild fish, crab, shellfish or combination of the two. We opted for rockfish (striped bass for everyone not from the Chesapeake Bay area) because it was easy to find in the freezer and because we haven't caught any snakeheads the last few trips out.

If you want to make this chowder thicker and richer, use heavy cream instead of the half and half and cook in a little roux. We feel that the starch from the potatoes and the generous amount of croutons fill that niche, but that's just us.

We also like to sear the fish in a separate pan before finishing it in the chowder to add a bit of texture and color. But you can simply chunk the fillet and add it in to cook for a few minutes before serving.

Summer Rockfish Chowder

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

~1 lb striped bass fillet, skinned, cut into single serving portions or chunked

2 medium onions, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup country ham, sliced thin and diced

4 tbsp butter

½ cup dry white wine

4 cups fish stock

4 cups potatoes, peeled, cubed

2-3 cups half and half

⅛ cup dry sherry

2 bay leaves

½ tsp oregano, dried

Croutons or oyster crackers

Method

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, cover bottom with a thin layer of neutral oil, add country ham and cook over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes. Add in butter, onions, garlic, oregano, and bay leaves, stir and cook until fragrant and onions are translucent. 

Turn heat to medium high, add in sherry and stir, scraping bottom of pan. Add in stock and potatoes, bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are almost cooked through, 10-15 minutes. Add in cream and sherry, then bring to a low simmer. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Season fish fillets with salt and pepper, then quickly sear. Drop them in the simmering chowder to finish cooking. Or, add fish chunks directly to chowder and simmer for 3-5 minutes until cooked through.

Serve with plenty of croutons and some fresh parsley.