This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Enjoy a hearty and tasty bowl of homemade Salmon Chowder made with fresh corn, potato, lots of fresh dill, and a touch of cream. Delicious!
Hello! Welcome to my blog. Here is a photo of fish bones in a bag. Mmm, right?
In my typical fashion, allow me to tell you how this fish came to be. I was shopping at Whole Foods and was admiring the salmon fillets. You see, being in the Pacific Northwest, we get the freshest fish to choose from. The problem is that just because we’re in close proximity to the fishing, it doesn’t mean that we get any kind of break on the cost. I was admiring the bright orange wild caught salmon fillets, dreaming of all the wonderful things I could make with them, but at the same time I was cringing at the price. Then I noticed they were selling the entire fish for a fraction of the price of an individual fillet. Then a lightbulb went off – I should by the entire fish!
Now I’ve done this before because occasionally our Costco gets the most beautiful freshly caught wild fish. I’ll buy a huge pack, bring it home, and wonder why I bought that huge pack because at that point I was obligated to handle those big slimy cuts of meat and I’m not talented enough to fillet them beautifully. Well, did you know that if you buy an entire fish at a place like Whole Foods, they’ll not only fillet it and package whatever sized fillets you request in freezer paper, but you get the head, bones, and fins in a separate bag if you want them too? Easy peasy! Everything was packaged up and ready for the deep freezer and I didn’t have to touch it. That’s a win in this Foodie’s book.
You might be wondering what on Earth you’d do with fish bones. I shall tell you. Make fish stock? Ever try to make a fish chowder with chicken stock? Its kind of gross and just doesn’t taste right. Make a fish chowder with your own fish stock? Yeah baby. Now we’re talking. This is what that vibrant orange flesh looks like after only a minute of blanching it in boiling salted water. Pretty cool, eh? Its important to do this before you start your stock to get rid of the slime on the skin. I’m here to help.
And this is your final product. Its not a thick chowder. It has a rich broth and the heavy cream gives it a smooth and rich finish. I love the fresh corn and if I were to cut back on anything it would be the potatoes… but just a bit. This is the kind of soup that makes you feel good. Its the perfect thing to eat on a cold rainy day. You need to go make it. Now. Go buy a fish!
SALMON CHOWDER
Ingredients
Broth:
- 1 1/2 pounds salmon heads fins and bones, gills removed (bones from one whole salmon)
- kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion chopped
- 2 carrots chopped
- 2 celery stalks chopped
- 1 cup white wine
- .88 ounce dried wild mushrooms*
- 2 bay leaves
CHOWDER:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/4 pound thick bacon ends and pieces
- 1 cup yellow onion diced
- 2 celery stalks diced
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes peeled and diced (about 5 small)
- 6 cups salmon broth
- 1 pound skinless boneless salmon meat, cut into small chunks
- 2 cups corn fresh (about 4 small ears)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 small bunch fresh dill diced
Instructions
- To make the broth, bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Add the salmon bones and head. When the water returns to a boil, let cook 1 minute. Remove the salmon bits (save them!) and discard the water. Blanching this way removes the scum from the stock and will give you a cleaner tasting broth when you are done.
- Wipe out the pot, add the oil, and turn the heat to medium-high. When the oil is hot, saute the onion, carrot and celery, stirring often, until the onion is soft, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the wine, bay leaves and the dried mushrooms and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Let the wine boil for a minute or two, then add the blanched salmon bones and enough cool water, at least 6 cups, and ensure it covers everything by about 1/2 inch. Bring to a very gentle simmer for 1-2 hours.
- Line a strainer with a paper towel or cheesecloth. Set the strainer over a large bowl or pot and strain the broth. Discard the solids and reserve the broth.
- To make the chowder, melt the butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and cook, stirring and turning often, until crispy, about 10 minutes. Add the onion and celery and saute until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and the salmon broth and bring to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
- When the potatoes are tender, add the corn and the chunks of salmon. Cook gently until the salmon is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the dill, heavy cream and black pepper. Taste and add salt as desired. Serve at once.
- If not serving the entire pot of soup, hold off on adding the heavy cream and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator. Do not add the heavy cream until ready to serve. This soup goes great with a crusty bread and a glass of white wine.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Great recipe – worked out perfectly (also was able to salvage a whole bowl of salmon meat from the initial salmon broth!). Loved it – many thanks!
I’d like to make this but I must be missing something……..It calls for six cups of broth. However, after pre boiling the fish parts, you dump out the water. After sauteeing everything it says to cover everything with 1/2 inch of water. One cup of wine is also used but wine reduces when simmered. How does this create 6 cups of broth? I MUST be missing something somewhere?
I add enough water when making the broth to create at least 6 cups of the finished broth, but I just updated the directions to make that more clear. Thank you for asking.
I’ve never tried salmon chowder, looks very tasty!!!
Oh this recipe sounds amazing, I never thought of making seafood broth or buying salmon head and bones before. This chowder tempting to rush to the stores.
OMG!! My cousin lives in Alaska and sends me wild-caught salmon every year. This is the first thing I’m going to make when I get the next shipment. It looks amazing!! Thank you for sharing!
Wow what a flavorful soup with lots of ingredients I like. I love a good chowder.
I’ve had lots of seafood chowders before, but not a salmon chowder. This was amazing! So fresh and flavorful.
Thanks for this recipe. I accidentally picked up a pack of salmon bones at the supermarket yesterday and was wondering what to do with it apart from making stock. This recipe turned out brilliantly for me.. I’ll be picking up more salmon bones at the market deliberately in the future! The tip about blanching the salmon first to remove the scum and overly fishy smell worked like a charm.
My first attempt at making salmon chowder. OMG! I am so proud of the final result. It came out perfect, delicious, and beautiful! Your instructions and detail information was very clear. A perfect 35 degree winter meal, with crusty hot rolls, I chose to enjoy with a Brooklyn Brown Ale…..