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Rob’s Fish Chowder
 
Leslie Borden, Sep 2002
This is Rob’s recipe: he learned it from his mother, who went to Cape Cod in the late 1930’s when she married Rob’s father and was a Cape Codder for more than 50 years.  On his father’s side, Rob’s family has been on the Cape and Cuttyhunk Island for generations.  As Tom Woteki says, “This chowder is from the heart.”  Rob made it with striped bass (rockfish) at Neavitt, on the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay during a very pleasant weekend in November, 1993.  
Rob says that when he asked his mother how she made her chowder, she said, “Well, put some fish in a pot and cover it with some water.”  When he asked her how much “some” was, she said she didn’t know, but it was right when it looked right.  (Your basic cook comment). Anyway, Rob asked his mother to write down the components and weights and measurements and she did.
Rob has evolved the recipe over the years, principally by starting with a full fish stock instead of water.
• To begin:  make a fish stock
• 2 fish frames -- Make sure they are from the same kind of fish you’re using for the chowder
• 2 quarts water
• 1 T. salt
• Note from Leslie:  When I do fish stock, I also add some cut up carrot, onion, and celery.
• Wash the frames in water to remove any blood.  Cut out and throw the gills away.  Cut the frames into chunks so they’ll fit into the pot.  Salt the water.  Put the frame pieces into the pot and pour in the water to cover.
• Bring to boil and skim initial scum.  Cover half the pot and simmer for 30 minutes.  Strain and reserve.
• Next make the chowder:
• 1 ½ - 2 pounds fish filets, cut into bite-sized Make sure the fish used for the stock
pieces matches the fish for the chowder.
• 2 oz. salt pork cut into quarter-inch dice Use bacon in a pinch. (If you don’t want to use salt pork or bacon, try the recipe with peanut oil.  Use soybean bacon bits to sprinkle on the finished chowder.)
• 1 medium onion, very coarsely chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 Tbs. thyme
• 6 cups fish stock If you can’t make stock, use 2 cups of clam juice and 4 cups water.  Or, 3 bouillon cubes of fish stock and 6 cups of water.
• Half a glass of white wine or more if you want.
• 2 cups potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch dice White boiling potatoes are best
• 2 cans evaporated milk This is the real secret of Rob’s mother’s chowder. Just make sure you don’t use condensed milk instead.  Cream and milk are OK subs.
• 2 Tbs. cilantro, chopped coarsely -- optional, but good
• Blanch the bacon/salt pork for five minutes.  Strain and reserve. Fry until crisp.  When the pork product is crisp, remove it from the pan and set aside.  Remove all but 1 ½ Tbs. of fat.
• Sauté the chopped onion in the fat over medium heat until wilted - 4 minutes (do not burn/if so try again).  Add the fish stock or substitute, wine (throw in whatever is left in the glass of wine you’re drinking while you make the soup), bay leaf, and thyme.  Add the potatoes and bring to the boil.  Reduce to a simmer.  Cook potatoes for 10 minutes at simmer.  
• Add fish and bring to boil.  Remove the pot from the heat and add evaporated milk.  Set aside to ripen overnight.  Put it in the refrigerator or, if it’s cold enough, outside (and of course this chowder is best when the weather is cold).
• Heat to a slow simmer (bloop, bloop, bloop); do not overcook or bring to a full boil (ooh, and didn’t Rob’s mother yell at me once when I let a pot of chowder boil), or it’ll curdle (use double boiler if necessary).  Serve, garnished with the reserved bacon bits and cilantro, in big soup plates.  Accompany with a salad and/or bread and cheese.