Bobby Flay-Inspired Salmon & Crab Chowder
Salmon and Crab Chowder
I love to challenge myself with new recipes and I confess that I'm a Food network addict. When I was searching for my 'Fish Friday' recipe, I stumbled across this one from Bobby Flay. I changed a few of the ingredients since I live in southeast Missouri and don't have access to all the fancy things the popular cooking shows have.
There are some nuances in this recipe that may look intimidating. I'll share with you some of the tips I learned along the way in making this chowder because I believe that if I can make it, so can you! Yes! Curtis just gave me his stamp of approval on this dish and I had a great deal of fun creating this recipe. My Food Network addiction is just for fun, and I doubt that I'll ever be a competitive cook on Chopped. But, a girl can dream, can’t she??
Level: Intermediate
Total: approx. 2 1/2 hours
Prep: 25 min
Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
Crab Broth:
2 shallots, skin on, chopped
2 Spanish onions, skin on, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fish or oyster sauce
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chopped plum tomatoes
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
Salmon:
Olive oil
1 1/2 pounds salmon fillet
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chowder:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small Spanish onion, finely diced
1 medium carrot, finely diced
1 medium stalk celery, finely diced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 pound crab meat
2 pounds potatoes peeled and brushed with oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, and roasted
Croutons:
1/2 french baguette sliced width wise in 1/2" slices
Unsalted butter, room temperature
Red Wine Glaze:
3 cups Pinot Noir, Merlot or other Bold red wine
2 to 3 teaspoons honey
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Peel and roughly chop potatoes. Prepare a Gallon plastic bag with the olive oil, sea salt and pepper. Place potatoes into the prepared plastic bag, seal and shake until potatoes are completely covered with oil and seasonings. Toss seasoned potatoes on a baking sheet and place in oven for 20-30 minutes until potatoes are slightly browned. You won't need to grease the pan because the olive oil on potatoes will keep them from sticking to the pan. Remove from oven when done and set aside.
For the crab broth: In a 2 gallon stock pot, saute the shallots and onions in olive oil until soft. (Cooking with the shallot and onion skins allow for earthy flavors to deepen the taste of the broth.) Add the fish sauce and saute for a few minutes. Add the white wine and reduce by half. Add the tomatoes, peppercorns, bay leaf and enough water to cover the veggies and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and just barely simmer for 30 minutes, skimming off any impurities. Discard all solids with a slotted spoon leaving the broth in the pan.
For the salmon: Preheat the oven to 400 to 450 degrees F. Rub the salmon with oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the salmon with parchment paper, and roast to medium-rare doneness, about 10 minutes. Remove the salmon to a platter and let rest before flaking with a fork.
For the chowder: Melt the butter in a Dutch oven. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook until soft. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute. (This step is important. The flour helps to bind the ingredients together and will thicken the broth when added). Add the Crab Broth, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced and thickened.
Place the heavy cream in a saucepan and reduce by half. (Make sure you keep an eye on your cream because you don't want it to burn or boil over.) Add the reduced cream to the chowder and heat through. Stir in the thyme and parsley. (Congrats! You just made the base for your chowder!)
Fold in the salmon, crab, and potatoes.
Now it's time to plate that yummy dish you just created. Ladle the chowder into individual bowls, top with a little handful of crab, sprinkle remaining chopped parsley and drizzle with Red Wine Glaze.
Croutons:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut each slice into thirds and spread with butter. Bake in the oven until toasted and golden.
Red Wine Glaze:
Bring the wine to a boil over high heat and cook until thickened to a glaze consistency and reduced to about 3/4 cup. Stir in the honey. (Here I noticed that I had to whisk the honey into the wine reduction in and heat for a little longer.)