Murray serves up a number of cost-saving recipes for your harvested fish, including multiple chowder recipes

Fish are one of the most healthy foods you could eat. Growing up in the 30s and 40s, it was a lot cheaper to put food on the table by fishing and hunting than by buying it at the grocery store. Consequently, cottontail rabbits, along with fish fresh from the Thames River, often ended up on our table. My favourite fish is perch, followed by walleye, bass, Arctic char and salmon. I can never get enough of fish chowder. This week we will offer up some great  chowder recipes for you to try.

Salmon Chowder
10 medium cubed potatoes
1 Tbsp accent (Ed. note: Accent is an early era reference to MSG, optional)
2 chopped stalks of celery
½ tsp crushed dried red peppers
½ green chopped pepper
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 bunch chopped green onions
½ cup water
1 ½ tsp salt
¼ cup white wine
¼ tsp white pepper
5 slices bacon
¼ tsp garlic powder
5 lbs salmon fillet skinned and cubed
Parsley to taste

  1. Fry the bacon. Crumble, and save the drippings. Set this aside.
  2. Mix potatoes, celery, green peppers, onions, salt, white pepper and garlic powder. Accent and water to cover. Cook until potatoes are tender.
  3. Add crushed red pepper, bacon and drippings along with salmon pieces.  
    Cover and boil for one minute.
  4. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Mix well, then add to saucepan. 
    Stir to thicken. Add the white wine. Sprinkle parsley on top of chowder to add colour and  flavor.

This will serve 10 hungry people.

Multiple Fish Chowder

12 lbs fresh fish fillets
2 cups diced raw potatoes
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup sliced carrots
1 medium white onion, thinly sliced
2 cups boiling water
½ cup diced celery
1 tsp salt
2 cups milk
½ tsp pepper

  1. Cube the fish. Melt the fat in large saucepan and cook onions and celery until tender. 
  2. Add potatoes carrots, water, salt and pepper. Cover and  simmer for about 15 minutes until vegetables are tender. Add fish and cook for another 10 minutes. 
  3. Add milk. Re-heat but do not boil.  

This recipe can be reheated the next day and still remain good.

My Favourite Clam Chowder 

4 slices bacon
½ tsp salt
½ chopped white onion
¼ tsp celery salt
5 ounce can undrained clams
1 can creamed condensed mushroom soup
clam liquid and water to make 1 ¾ cup
1 soup can of milk
1 cup diced raw potatoes

  1. Cook bacon in large saucepan until crisp. 
  2. Add onions and cook until tender.
  3. Drain Clams. Reserve liquid and supplement with water to make 1 ¾ cups and then add to saucepan.
  4. Add potatoes, salt and celery salt.
  5. Heat to boiling. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
  6. Add the soup and milk. This will serve 4 to 6  people.

Fish souffle

1 tall tin of salmon
1 ½ cups milk
salt and pepper to taste
3 well-beaten egg yolks
juice of ½ lemon
3 egg whites
2 cups bread crumbs    

  1. Separate the salmon in flakes and discard skin and bones. 
  2. Add the salt, pepper and lemon juice. 
  3. Cook the breadcrumbs in the milk. Cool to lukewarm. 
  4. Add salmon and egg yolks, reserving a small amount of the yolk to add to the sauce. 
  5. Beat the egg whites until they stand in peaks and add them to the sauce.
  6. Pour into a greased baking dish and stand dish in a pan containing one inch of water.
  7. Bake at 350 F for 1 to 1 ½  hours. 
  8. Serve with white sauce no. 2, to which the reserved portion of egg has been added.  
  9. Add a little parsley to the sauce for extra taste.

Spicy Cajun Shrimp

1 tsp ground red pepper
1 ½ tsp  minced garlic
1 tsp crumbled dried basil
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
½ tsp crumbled dried oregano
2 dozen large peeled shrimp, de-veined
½ tsp crumbled dried thyme leaves
1 large tomato, coarsely chopped  
½ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ cup beer at  room temperature
½ tsp salt
3 cups hot cooked rice
½ tsp black pepper
⅓ cup butter

  1. Combine ground red pepper, basil, oregano, thyme, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper in cup. 
  2. Combine the butter and garlic, Worcestershire sauce and seasoning in large skillet..
  3. Heat butter over high heat until  butter melts. Stir in shrimp and tomato. Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly. 
  4. Stir in beer, cover and cook 1 minute longer or until  shrimp is bright pink and meat is firm and opaque. Serve over rice. Serves 4 people.

This week’s closing remark: When a fisherman tells you how big a fish he caught, its size will ultimately depend on how far he can stretch his arms!

Leave a Comment

Scroll to Top