Rikis Smoked Fish Chowder Recipes

SMOKED HADDOCK CHOWDER

Steps:

• Put the fish in a deep frying pan with the bay leaf and 600ml/1 pint boiling water. Cover and simmer for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave to stand, covered, for a further 5 minutes. Drain, reserving the liquid, then flake the fish.
• Heat the oil and butter in a deep saucepan. Add the vegetables and garlic and fry over a high heat until starting to soften. Stir in the thyme and the reserved cooking liquid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened.
• Pour half the soup into a bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Return to the pan with the milk and fish. Simmer for 3 minutes, taste and season if needed. Sprinkle with chopped parsley to serve.

SMOKY HADDOCK CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Get all your ingredients ready. Fit the coarse grater attachment into a food processor, put a large deep saucepan on a high heat and turn the grill to full whack.
• For the chowder, finely slice the bacon and put it into the saucepan with a good lug of olive oil. Stir until golden.
• Trim and finely slice the spring onions, add to the pan and stir. Wash the potatoes and chop into 2cm chunks. Add to the pan and mix well. Keep an eye on the pan, stirring often.
• Meanwhile, put a clean tea towel over a board and ruffle up the edges to catch the corn. Hold a corn cob upright on the board and run a knife gently down to the base of the kernels, all the way round. Repeat with the rest of the cobs, discarding the cores. Tip the kernels directly from the tea towel into the pan.
• Add the smoked haddock to the pan with 3 bay leaves and the leaves from 3 sprigs of thyme. Cover with the chicken stock, then put the lid on and cook for 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, put the tiger prawns into an ovenproof pan with a few lugs of olive oil, the butter, a pinch of sea salt and pepper, the thyme, cayenne pepper and a small pinch of cinnamon.
• Crush in 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic, then deseed the chilli, slice and add to the pan with the lemon.
• Toss and mix well, then put under the grill on the top shelf for 8 to 10 minutes, or until dark pink and golden on the tips. Once ready, take out of the oven and leave to sit until ready to serve.
• For the salad dressing, peel the garlic and place in a liquidiser with the chilli, tarragon, red wine vinegar, yoghurt, 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and and a pinch of salt and black pepper. Whiz until combined.
• Have a taste - you want the salt and acid to be slightly over the top, so tweak if needed and whiz again. Pour into a small jug and take to the table.
• Give the chowder a good stir, then put the lid back on.
• For the salad, wash and trim the courgette and carrots. Peel the beetroot. Using the coarse grater attachment, grate the vegetables one at a time, all in the food processor.
• Tip out onto a platter so it looks like a rainbow and snip the cress over the top. Put on the table next to the jug of dressing and dress at the last minute.
• Add the cream and peeled prawns to the chowder and stir well. Put the lid back on and turn the heat down to low. Put the matzo crackers in a pile on the table.
• To make the berry slushie, rinse the food processor bowl and fit the standard blade attachment. Add a pint glass or 2 large handfuls of ice cubes, pick in the mint leaves and blitz to a slush.
• Leave the processor running and add 50ml of elderflower cordial and the raspberries. Pour in 500ml of soda water and leave to whiz until combined. Taste, adding another little splash of elderflower cordial to sweeten if needed.
• Pour the slushie into a large jug, top up with soda water and stir again right before serving.
• Take the chowder off the heat. You can leave it coarse and chunky, or use a potato masher to mash it up a little bit and make it silky, or purée the lot - it's up to you. I like to roughly mash one side of it, then mix it through.
• To serve, take the tiger prawns to the table with the saucepan of chowder. Roughly break a few crackers into each bowl, ladle the chowder on top and finish off with a couple of tiger prawns on the side. Toss the salad in the dressing, taste and season, then tuck in.

SMOKED FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a heavy kettle (at least 5 quarts) cook bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened. Peel potatoes and cut into 3/4-inch cubes. Add potatoes, celery, broth, and water and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Add lima beans and corn and simmer, covered, 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl dissolve cornstarch in half-and-half or milk and stir into simmering soup with Worcestershire sauce. Bring soup to a boil, stirring, and add fish. (If using smoked trout, no further cooking is necessary; if using finnan haddie or fresh fish, simmer, covered, 5 minutes, or until it just flakes.) Stir in parsley or dill. Soup may be made 2 days ahead (cool uncovered before chilling covered.) Reheat gently.

SMOKY FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a heavy pot over medium-high heat, brown bacon until crisp, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate to drain.
• Spoon off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pot. Add butter and let melt. Add leeks and a pinch of salt; cook, stirring frequently, until leeks are soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in paprika; cook 1 minute. Pour in vermouth and simmer until almost completely evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in stock, 1 cup water, potatoes, thyme and remaining salt. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
• Add milk and cooked bacon to pot; bring to a simmer. Add fish and cook until just opaque, 2 to 4 minutes. Use a fork to flake fish into large pieces. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove thyme. Serve immediately.

RIKI'S SMOKED FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Put all the veggies in a large stock pot.
• Cover with water; add a tablespoon stock powder. (Or use fish or chicken stock).
• Simmer until soft.
• Place 2 large smoked cod, or haddock fillets, skin side up, on top of the vegies and simmer about 15 minutes.
• In a frypan, make up a thick white sauce using ABOUT 3 tablespoons butter and flour, and 2 cups milk.
• Add one teaspoon mustard, (I like seeded mustard).
• One tablespoon Worcestershire sauce.
• One cup tasty cheese.
• And fresh black pepper to taste.
• Stir the soup to break up the fish, and add the cheese sauce, stir to combine.
• Opt; I like to add about a cup of chopped peeled green prawns when I add the cheese sauce.
• You can add any other vegetables that you have on hand; this is just the BASIC recipe.

FISKESUPPE (NORWEGIAN FISH CHOWDER)

Steps:

• Heat butter in a 6 qt saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, celery, onions, peppers, and leeks, and season with salt and pepper.
• Cook, stirring, until soft, 8-10 minutes. Add carrots, parsnips, celeriac, potatoes, stock, milk, cream, and Worcestershire; bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender, about 25 minutes.
• Add fish, and continue to cook, stirring gently, until fish is cooked through, 6-8 minutes. Stir in dill, parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper.
• Serve with bread.