Subject: New England Fish Chowder
From: Unicorn (unicorn@indenial.com)
Date: Tue Oct 29 2002 - 08:46:15 EST
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FOOD FUNNY
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Thanks to reader Joe Morgan for this one:
When my daughters were ready for confirmation (a sacrament of the
Catholic Church), it was our practice to take our daughter along with
her sponsor and the sponsor's husband to dinner at an upscale local
restaurant. As a good host I offered each the opportunity to order an
appetizer. I ordered escargot as did my daughter Becky. We were
served and started to eat, and Becky was having trouble using the
special fork and extracting the snail when I asked "What's the matter
Becky, is it holding on?" And from that point she couldn't touch them
- I finished her appetizer.
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TODAY'S RECIPE
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Yesterday I promised a Portuguese kale soup as part of our Dinner in
New England, but several readers pointed out I had already published
such a recipe so I decided to present a classic New England fish
chowder instead. Please note that if you can't find a whole haddock
or cod, substitute steaks from either fish and ask your fishmonger to
throw in some bones for the stock.
New England Fish Chowder
1/4 lb (110 g) salt pork, rind removed, cut into
1/2-inch (1 cm) dice
1 cup (250 ml) coarsely chopped onions
A 3 to 3 1/2 lb (1.2 - 1.5 Kg) whole haddock or cod,
body cut into 1-inch (3 cm) steaks, head and tail reserved
2 cups (500 ml) water
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (1 cm) dice
1/2 tsp (2 ml) dried thyme
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
4 cups (1 L) milk
2 Tbs (45 ml) butter, cut into small pieces
Brown the salt pork in a large heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring
frequently, until they are crisp. Add the onions and cook until
tender but not brown, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved fish head and
tail and water to the pot and bring to a boil, skimming off any foam
that rises to the surface. Add the potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper
and reduce the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add the fish steaks and
simmer partially covered for 10 minutes, or until the fish flakes
easily. Remove and discard the head and tail. Using a slotted spoon,
remove the fish steaks and remove and discard the skin and bones. Cut
the meat into 1-inch (3 cm) chunks and return to the soup. Add the
milk and butter and return the soup to a simmer over low heat.
Traditionally the soup is left to sit at room temperature for no more
than an hour and reheated immediately prior to serving. Serves 4 to 6.
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