Yummy Dinner :D

No pictures, but just had to share. While we were on the coast, we didn't get a chance to have any chowder. Steven doesn't like clams and the like, so he hasn't even tried clam chowder (in spite of growing up just minutes from Mo's!) and I always, always get sand in my mouth when eating clam chowder, so we both avoided it this trip. But watching my family eat it and listening to them talk about eating it made me crave a really good seafood chowder, sand free! I don't normally cook any meat at all in our house, not even seafood. But I do occasionally make an exception for really good fish. We recently, within the last year, got a wonderful fishmonger in town, one who flies in fish from all over and it's all super fresh. Today he had some wild Coho Salmon, never frozen. It looked perfect. So I just had to indulge my craving for a wonderful seafood chowder. Here's what I came up with!

Salmon Chowder

Ingredients:

• 1 lb, give or take, of very fresh fish, we used Coho Salmon, cubed
  
• 3-4 Large potatoes, cubed
• 2 Medium Carrots, diced
  
• 1 Large sweet onion, diced
  
• 2-3 Stalks Celery, diced
• 1 box (32 oz) stock, I used chicken
• 1 Pint Half & Half, Whipping Cream, or whole milk
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1/4 tsp Dill (add more if you like dill, I don't really)
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or smoked paprika, depending on your heat preference
  
• 1 tsp Seasoned Salt
• 1 Can Creamed Corn (use fresh, frozen or canned corn if you don't want it as sweet)

Directions:

1. After dicing all the ingredients, saute the onions in butter or olive oil until translucent. Add the vegetables, spices, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer until potatoes are soft. Remove the bay leaves at this point.
   
2. If you like really thick chowder, lightly puree the soup at this point with a hand blender. Leave some chunks, just break up the potatoes enough to thicken the soup.
3. Keep the chowder at a simmer and add the fish. Simmer until the fish flakes easily.
4. Add the dairy and the corn. Simmer until heated through.
5. Serve with warm, crusty bread or in a bread bowl.