One thing that bothers me about the state of Minnesota is the lack of oceanfront real estate. It’s more than a thousand miles every direction to reach a good ocean. We may have over 12,000 lakes, but not a single sea.
Lakes provide wonderful opportunities for water sports, wildlife gazing, and natural sound effects for a most excellent lullabye. But even though walleye is a favourite treat, there’s no SEAFOOD.
As a lover of travel, I have enjoyed seafood in some incredible locations:
- Fried kalamari with my daughter on Circular Quay in Sydney (this is actually a picture of me with my daughter on Jervis Bay, Australia, but she is much lovelier than the Sydney Opera House)
- Halibut tacos visiting my sister in Alaska
- Swordfish grilled by my cousin in California
- Fish & Chips while watching whales in Woolamia, Australia
- Steamed clams and fresh lobster while traveling through Maine (yup! that’s actually my dad fishing for lobster in the 1970s)
- Incredible seafood chowder at a pub on the Dingle Peninsula, Ireland
- Mahi-Mahi at a floating restaurant Sanibel, Florida
- “Abborre” in northern Sweden
- Crayfish at a buffet along the banks of the Potomac
- Fresh shrimp bought on the pier in Bergen, Norway (this was the first of many times buying shrimp just in from sea, and those are my sisters!)
- King salmon caught within Anchorage city limits and hauled back home in an ice chest
- And fish caught by my grandmother (here with my mom) early summer mornings on Crow Wing Lake in northern Minnesota
If it lives in the water, I like it. (With the exception of eel – not a huge fan of that!) After reading a post on “pinch of yum”, I was prompted to dig out a recipe I hadn’t made in years. I’ve made many different seafood chowders in the past, but this one has a freshness, warmth, and substance that is perfect on a chilly evening.
It starts with the usual suspects: carrots, celery, leeks, and garlic. Orange is the dominant colour – lovely pieces of sweet potato/yam floating in a base of broth (to help veggies cook), coconut milk (to keep it light), and heavy cream (to make it wonderful). Fresh thyme and sage, along with a squirt of lemon juice, make it bright and friendly.
Yam & Salmon Chowder
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 6 carrots, diced
- 3 celery stalks, diced
- 1 large leek, split, rinsed, and sliced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 2 large yams (or sweet potatoes) peeled and cut in large dice
- 4 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 2 Tbsp fresh thyme, pulled off woody stems
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 2–3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 package smoked salmon, cut into chunks
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp fresh sage, sliced into ribbons
- 1/2 lemon
Instructions
- Heat oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
- Sauté carrots and celery until fragrant and tender.
- Add leek, and sauté another 3 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and black pepper, and cook an additional minute, making certain garlic doesn’t scorch.
- Deglaze pan with white wine.
- Add stock, yams, and thyme. Bring to a soft boil and allow yams to cook until almost tender.
- Whisk cornstarch into coconut milk, and add to the pot. Allow to simmer until desired thickness, stirring frequently.
- Add the cream, salmon, and sage ribbons. Heat thru for a few minutes, but do not allow to boil again. (If the salmon “cooks” in the soup, it will lose flavour and texture. Just heat it up.)
- Ladle into bowls, then squirt a small wedge of lemon into each bowl.
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