Fish Chowder
2 slices bacon (optional... definitely didn't need it... just was in the mood, 5 weeks til baby comes right??)
1 tbl butter
1-2 chopped carrots
a few stalks chopped celery
1 medium chopped onion
a few cloves chopped garlic
1 large or 2 small red potatoes, diced
2 tbl flour
2 1/2 cups skim milk, plus 1 cup skim milk
Halibut, or another white fish like cod, cut into 1 inch pieces
parsley and/or chives (not pictured)
salt and pepper
Dice the bacon and cook it until crispy in your soup pan.
Remove with a slotted spoon to let some of the grease drain.
In the remaining bacon grease (theres not much left) add alllllll your veggies and garlic, the tablespoon of butter, and salt and pepper (and if youre not using bacon just sautee veggies in 2 tbl butter).
***It really really helped that I chopped up all the veggies earlier and then all I had to do was throw them in when I made the soup. It made the whole dish seem so easy. You can buy onion/carrots/celery prechopped at the store too!!***
After sauteeing for a few minutes add in the two tablespoons of flour and mix around. It'll look kinda pasty like this.
Whisk in the 2 1/2 cups of milk. Whisk well!! Bring to a low boil and then reduce heat and let it simmer uncovered for 30 minutes or so ... check back on it every so often and whisk it around though just to make sure nothings getting clumpy. Add some salt and pepper too.
After letting it simmer, add in the chopped fish, the extra cup of cold milk, and stir the bacon back in. Let it cook through for 10 more minutes.
Thennnn I went crazy with the chives and parsley and pepper... I'm pregnant leave me alone.
But anyway, it was really really really really yummy... I loved the big pieces of fish and the coziness of it! More for Kev and I then the kids though... even Batman, my soup lover, didn't give it a try... but thats ok, their loss. :)
