There is a recipe for lox chowder in Mark Russ Federman’s charming memoir of his family’s appetizing business on the Lower East Side of Manhattan: “Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes From the House That Herring Built.” I put a version of it into The Times in 2013. The soup tastes best made with the store’s smoked salmon trimmings, which offer a lot of fatty, flavorful bits from up around the fish’s collar (and cheap, too!), but a number of test runs using supermarket smoked salmon offered evidence that the soup is still terrific when made outside the five boroughs of New York City, with a fantastic smokiness tempered by the sweet flavors of potato and leek.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium leek, cleaned, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 rib celery, trimmed and diced
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 large, starchy potato, peeled and cut into small cubes
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock, either homemade or low-sodium
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups whole milk
- 4 ounces smoked salmon, flaked
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh chives, minced, for garnish
- Nutritional Information
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
487 calories; 29 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 38 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 11 grams sugars; 15 grams protein; 90 milligrams cholesterol; 418 milligrams sodium
Note: Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available data.
4 to 6 servings
Preparation
- Melt the butter with the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot set over medium heat. Add leek, carrot and celery, and cook until the vegetables have softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic, potato and thyme, and cook until the garlic is fragrant, an additional 2 or 3 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetable mixture and stir to combine, then cook, stirring often, for approximately 5 minutes, making sure not to scorch the bottom of the pan.
- Add the wine, chicken stock and bay leaf, and bring mixture to a simmer. After 10 minutes or so, stir in the milk, and return to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are tender, approximately 25 minutes. Add the salmon and stir gently, allowing the fish to warm but making sure that the mixture does not boil.
- Remove the bay leaf and discard. Add the cream, then stir to combine and heat through. Season to taste with pepper. Garnish with minced chives.
1 hour 10 minutes
Dining and Cooking