When out on a day’s fishing and you don’t catch one of those big clunkers, don’t be dismayed. You can make a great chowder with little fish too! Gary Hill, one of the very best fishing guides out of Atlin gave me his secret fish chowder recipe.

Gary Hill’s Atlin Chowder

Ingredients:

2 pounds of mixed fish fillets

2 cups water

2 cups of milk

2 cups diced potatoes

½ cup diced carrots

½ cup diced celery

4 strips bacon sliced into small sections

1 medium white onion, thinly sliced

1 Tbsp butter

½ tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

½ tsp tarragon

Method:

Cut the fish fillets into small cubes. Melt butter in a large sauce pan and cook the onions, celery and bacon until it is tender. Add potatoes, carrots, water, salt, pepper and tarragon. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes (no more) until vegetables are tender. Add fish and cook no more than 10 minutes longer. Add milk. Re-heat, but do not bring to a boil.


Atlin Lake Pike Chowder

Ingrediens:

2 ½ pounds of pike fillet

½ pound salt pork, chopped

3 small white onions

3 cups scalded white milk

3 cups diced potatoes

3 cups boiling water

6 crackers

½ tsp pepper

2 tsp salt

Method:

Cover fish with cold, salted water and slowly bring to a boil, then simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Drain and reserve stock. Remove fish from skillet, remove the bones and flake the fillets.

Cook salt pork in large saucepan, add onions and sautée until browned, add the 3 cups of fish stock and boiling water, potatoes, flaked fish and seasonings and boil for 15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked. Add milk to the chowder and again bring to a boil. Serve and enjoy.


Whitehorse Pike Chowder

Ingredients:

3 pounds of pike fillets

½ pound salted pork, diced

3 medium white onions, sliced

40 ounces of canned tomatoes

4 medium sized carrots, diced

3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and diced

1 diced green pepper

4 tsp salt

½ tsp celery seed

1 bay leaf

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

2 cups water

Method:

Place the skin, bones and head in a cheesecloth bag. Clean and remove as much of the bones of the fillet, as possible.

In a skillet, sear the pork, turning it over until it is well browned on both sides. When well browned, remove pork and set it aside on paper towel to drain. Leave remaining fat in the skillet, add onions and cook them until they’re translucent.

Remove the fried onions and put into a soup pot with the remaining ingredients. Now place the cheesecloth bag and its contents into the water and bring to a boil and cook mildly until vegetables are close to being tender and the fish flakes (about 15 minutes.)


Haddock Fish Chowder

Ingredients:

2 tsp shortening

2 cups white onions, sliced

2 cups raw potatoes, sliced

1 tsp salt

¼ tsp pepper

2 cups boiling water

1½ pounds of fresh haddock, cut into ½ inch squares

2 cups of 2% milk

¼ cup butter

Method:

Melt the shortening in a Dutch oven, add onions and sautée. Next add potatoes, salt and pepper, water and finally the fish. Cover.

Cook over low heat for 25 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally. Add the milk and butter. Simmer for another 10 or 12 minutes

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