THE BEEZ KNEEZ WILD SMOKED SALMON & HAND-PEELED SHRIMP CHOWDER PREP 30 MIN COOK TIME 30 MIN SERVES 16 Chef Paul de Ridder of Beez Kneez Catering Company in Comox won the 2014 BC Shellfish Festival chowder competition with this rendition. 16 thin slices pancetta, from local butcher 2.5 pounds Vancouver Island manila clams 1 cup white wine ¼ cup butter plus 1 tablespoon 1 cup finely diced local carrots 1 tablespoon crushed garlic 1 local medium onion, chopped 1 cup finely diced local celery ½ fennel bulb, finely diced ¼ cup all-purpose flour 1 L 2% milk 3 cups peeled and diced local BC potatoes 1 cup smoked Vancouver Island corn ½ L whipping cream ½ pound hickory-smoked wild Sockeye salmon, crumbled ½ pound hand-peeled Oceanwise shrimp salt and ground black pepper to taste 2 teaspoons chopped fresh local dill 1 lemon, zest and juice Line a baking tray with parchment and arrange slices of pancetta in a single layer. Cover with another layer of parchment and a second baking sheet. Bake in a 350 F oven until pancetta is very crisp. Drain and reserve fat, and set pancetta aside. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, combine the clams and white wine with 1 tablespoon of butter. Cover pan and steam over medium high heat, just until clams open. Strain and reserve the clam stock and shuck the clam meat from the shells. Set aside. In a heavy-bottomed pot, combine the reserved pancetta fat and ¼ cup butter. Over medium heat, sweat the carrots, garlic, onions, celery and fennel until softened and transparent. Slowly add the flour to make a roux, and then stir in the reserved clam stock and milk. Add the potatoes and smoked corn and bring to a simmer. Stir in the smoked salmon. Cook until the potatoes are tender, but still hold their shape. Stir in the cream, clams and shrimp. Bring back up to a simmer. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Finish with fresh dill, lemon juice and zest. Garnish each serving with a pancetta crisp, and serve immediately. 64
FISHHOOK CHOWDER PREP 30 MIN COOK TIME 30 MIN SERVES 8 Kunal Ghose has a loyal following for the exotic chowder he makes at Red Fish, Blue Fish. This new chowder, created for his latest venture, Fishhook, is dairy free, featuring coconut milk and house-made smoked fish stock. You can buy Hook Salmon Belly Bacon and Fishhook’s smoked fish stock at the restaurant, or use double-smoked bacon to add a smoky note to this soup. 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 ½ cups diced onion 1 ½ cups diced carrot 1 ½ cup diced celery 2 tablespoons crushed garlic 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons Sriracha (hot chili sauce) 1 ½ cups diced parboiled potatoes 2 cups olive oil 1 pound fresh halibut 3 400-ml cans coconut milk 3 cups Fishhook smoked fish stock (or regular stock) ¼ pkg. Hook Salmon Belly Bacon, diced In a stockpot, sauté the onion, carrot and celery in canola oil until just softened. Stir in the crushed garlic, thyme, ancho powder, salt, pepper, Worcestershire and Sriracha. Cook together a few minutes longer. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 F and toss the potatoes in a little canola oil. Season with a salt, pepper and ancho chili powder and place on a baking sheet. Roast until golden, about 15-20 minutes. Place the halibut in a separate pot and add olive oil until the fish is covered. Slowly poach the halibut over medium heat until it is cooked through and flakes apart. Remove the fish from the oil and set aside. To finish the soup, add the coconut milk and stock to the pot with the vegetables. Bring the soup to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the roasted potatoes and salmon belly bacon to the pot and remove from heat. To serve, place a generous spoonful of halibut confit in the bottom of each bowl and ladle the hot chowder over top. Garnish with green onion and ancho chili powder.