Fish Chowder

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 2 medium yellow onions, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine, optional
• 3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
• 2 cups clam juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds cod, or other firm white fish, pin bones removed, fillets cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. Warm the oil and butter in the base of a large 6-qt pot over medium heat. Stir in the onions and cook them until they have softened, about 5 minutes.
2. Pour in the wine, if you’re using it, then raise the heat and cook without a lid until the liquid has reduced by half. If you’re skipping the wine, add 1/4 cup of water along with the clam juice. Add the potatoes, clam juice, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, and Old Bay spice. The liquid should come up just enough to barely cover the potatoes; add water if needed.
3. Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to medium, cover, and cook until the potatoes are nearly tender, about 10-15 minutes.
4. In another pot, warm the cream until it is steaming, but do not let it boil.
5. Add the fish to the potato mixture, then pour in the hot cream. Put the pot back on the stove and cook uncovered over low heat until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
6. Watch the heat carefully. Straight heavy cream is more forgiving if the soup begins to boil, but light cream, half and half, or milk can curdle when the mixture gets close to boiling.
7. Adjust the heat so the chowder becomes barely steamy without reaching a simmer.
8. As soon as the fish is just cooked through, take the pot off the heat.
9. Stir in the parsley. The chowder’s flavor gets better if it sits for 30 minutes before serving.
10. Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers, unless you need the gluten-free version.