chowdah

Nothing but fish will do for the last few days. Baked fish at Bonnie's house, halibut chowder last night. Tuna on rosemary-pecan crackers for lunch. Fish and chips for the children tonight. The fish chowder is very good in a changeable climate, quick to make, and tastes fresh but soothing on a suddenly snowy evening.

Sauté one minced white onion, with a finely-minced stalk of celery and a little of the greens, in about 2 T oil (I use half olive oil, half butter, because you'll see a bit of it later on the surface). As soon as they're sautéeing away, roughly chop 2 or 3 unpeeled yukon gold potatoes and add, stirring them around for a while. Because it's been a long winter, a little fine-dice red pepper won't do it any harm.

Stir all these in the soup pot until everything's gently glowing, then pour in half a litre of organic chicken broth from a tetra pack and half a bunch of parsley, tied with a little linen string, and let it all simmer for ten minutes. Take out the old parsley, stir in three or four halibut or haddock fillets, chopped about the same size as the potatoes (and frozen is delightful in this case), about half a cup of cream, and half of the remaining parsley, finely minced. When the fish looks done, it's done. Don't let the potatoes get too mushy—they and the fish should be about the same consistency. You might like to add more cream, or use whole milk—don't try this with skim though. No no no.