Smoked Salmon Chowder

 

Right after Christmas, I bought two boxes of smoked salmon. They were on after-Chrismas clearance for about $2 or $3 for 8 oz. Having never tried it before, I only bought 2 boxes, in case I didn't like it. Well, I wish I could go back in time, because we just tried it for the first time, a few days ago, and we LOVED it! The kind I bought isn't the raw-smoked stuff that I usually see; it was fully cooked, and smoked. It was delicious; we used it in a salmon chowder. I have another fave recipe for salmon chowder (which I'm sure I'll share later) but this one was so good- I think I have a new favorite! (Ok, I like them both the same, in different ways!) My husband loved it too- he said something like "You know, you should print out recipes like this. So you'll remember where they are, and we can have it again." The poor guy knows that I rarely repeat a dish, so he wasy trying to make sure this one would be a repeat! With some of my homemade wheat rolls, this was the perfect dinner.

I adapted this from this Allrecipes recipe. I'll re-write the directions to show my changes.

Smoked Salmon Chowder

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 1/2 cups water

4-5 teaspoons "Better than Bouillon- Chicken Flavor"
1 pound red potatoes - cubed
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon paprika
8 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 cup half and half

1.  In a large stockpot over medium-high heat, combine the butter, olive oil, onion, garlic, and celery. Cook 8 to 10 minutes, or until the onions are transparent. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir well to make a dry roux. Gradually add the water and stir until slightly thickened. Add bouillon, and stir in the potatoes, dill, tarragon, thyme, and paprika. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the salmon, lemon juice, hot sauce, pepper, and half-and-half. Simmer over low heat, uncovered, for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Do not let the chowder boil after adding the half-and-half. Serve hot.