3320. SMOKED HADDOCK and LEEK CHOWDER with BACON

serves four (generously)


600 grams natural (undyed) smoked haddock
500 ml milk
1 tablespoon olive oil
150 grams diced bacon
2 sticks of celery, thinly sliced
3 medium leeks, washed and sliced
2 bay leaves
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes
500 ml fish or chicken stock
125 grams frozen sweetcorn, thawed
142ml carton single cream
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh parsley 

Lay the haddock in a deep frying pan and pour over the milk. Cover and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and leave undisturbed for about 5minutes , until the haddock is just cooked. Lift the haddock from the milk, remove the skin and bones and flake onto a plate. Reserve the milk for later. 

Heat the oil in a large saucepan (preferably non-stick) and gently fry the bacon until starting to brown. Add the celery, leeks, bay leaves and potatoes, and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the stock and reserved milk. Bring to the simmer and cook for 10 minutes. 

Add the flaked haddock, sweetcorn and cream. Season with pepper (it shouldn’t need salt) and stir in the parsley. Heat through gently, then serve.


bacon recipe source: Jo Pratt, Good Food Magazine, February 2005