1medium-large waxy potatosuch as Yukon Gold, peeled cut into about 1-inch cubes
1 ½cupswhole milkat room temperature
½ cupheavy whipping creamat room temperature
1poundfresh white fish filletsbones and skin removed (see Note)
Instructions
Heat a pot over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, add the bacon and sauté until starting to get crispy, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn the heat down to medium. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until starting to soften but not brown, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic and thyme and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by ½ to ¾, about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the fish stock, bay leaf, salt, black pepper, and potato, and let it come up to a boil (the veggies should be just barely covered with liquid). Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot, and simmer until the veggies are fork-tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the milk and cream, and then add the whole fish fillets, making sure they are completely submerged in liquid (it's fine if the fish breaks into smaller pieces while cooking). Cover the pot and cook until the fish is cooked, about 10 minutes. (Try to keep the soup at a simmer and make sure it doesn’t boil so the milk doesn’t curdle; the fish is done when it is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.)
Once the fish is cooked, use a wooden spoon to flake it into bite-sized pieces.
Taste the chowder and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
Recipe Yield and Serving Size: This recipe makes about 10 cups of soup total, for 5 (2-cup) servings.
Bacon: I use beef bacon here, but you could use pork bacon or turkey bacon + 2 tablespoons butter.
Whole Milk: Make sure to use whole milk in this recipe (not low-fat milk) to avoid curdling. Alternatively, you can swap out the whole milk for half and half for even more richness and body.
What Type of Fish to Use: For this chowder, I like to use haddock, halibut, cod, or pollock.
Don't Stir After You Add the Fish: Once you add the fish, avoid stirring because this can break up the fish too much and can cause it to completely disintegrate. Just add the whole fish fillets and tuck them into the liquid so they're submerged. Then once the fish is cooked, use a wooden spoon to flake the fish into bite-sized pieces.
Storage: Stored in an airtight container in the fridge, this chowder will keep for about 3 days.
Reheating: To reheat this chowder, cook it gently over low heat until warm. Be sure not to let it boil because this can cause the milk to curdle. Also, avoid stirring because this can break up the fish too much.