Fish Chowder

This is a really delicious and hearty, thick and fragrant soup - or chowder as it is made with milk and cream. 

You can use a selection of fish here but I think a mixture of both smoked and unsmoked gives such good flavour and prawns are another great addition. I tend to portion up my 'mixed fish' and put into bags in the freezer which will include salmon, cod and smoked haddock - I then defrost and use for this Fish Chowder for my Healthy Fish Pie or even my Simple Fish Stew. 

With the herbs - you can use parsley, tarragon or chives - I like the oniony taste of chives personally but they all work and bring something else to this dish.

The below serves x4 - recommend serving with a ton of fresh, crusty, buttered bread.

Fish Chowder

Here's how:

• 1 salmon fillet 
• 1 cod fillet (approx 200g)
• 1 smoked haddock fillet (approx 200g)
• 1 pack frozen prawns (I use the Lidl Deluxe ones which can be cooked from frozen)
• 2 rashers smoked bacon
• 1 tbsp flour
• 250g potatoes (when peeled)
• 650ml fish stock 
• 300ml whole milk (you can use semi skimmed or skimmed but the final chowder will be thinner)
• 2 tbsp cream (single or double)
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Pinch nutmeg
• Black pepper
• 1 red onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 5-6 chives
• Drizzle olive oil

Firstly drizzle the olive oil into a large saucepan and place on a low heat.

Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic and add to the pan.

Chop the bacon into small squares and add to the pan.

Chop the peeled potatoes into small diced cubes of approximately 1cm2 and give a good rinse. 

Once the bacon is cooking away and you've turned over, add the potato to the pan and allow it to cook for a few minutes, moving around with a spatula. 

After a few minutes, add the plain flour and mix around - this will act to thicken the soup later on.

Pour over the fish stock, season with black pepper, a pinch of cayenne pepper and a pinch or a little grating of nutmeg. Give a good stir and allow to cook for 15 minutes. 

In the meantime, chop the fish into small, bite-sized chunks and set aside. 

Chop the chives and set aside too. 

After fifteen minutes, test a potato cube, it should be just about cooked through. 

Now add the milk, stir through and leave to cook for a further five minutes. 

Now add the salmon, cod, smoked haddock and prawns and cook for 4 minutes, then stir through the cream and move off of the heat. 

Add half the chopped chives and stir through before ladling into four bowls and then finishing with a few more chives. Enjoy!