Its still running 30 degrees in ‘balmy’ Minnesota. Yeah, we do cold here in the upper Midwest. Here, it’s go cold or go home. HA!

Trying to think of what to serve up on this freaking frigid day, I hit the grocery store.

At my favorite grocery store they were tasting Atlantic Farmed Salmon. (I love tastings because I can ensured its not ‘fishy’ tasting) Next to the salmon was Alaskan Cod. Both were BOGO (buy one, get one free). I bought 2 packages of each! Tonight: Fish Chowder with Cod, potatoes, green beans and corn. Tomorrow: Salmon Croquettes. Seriously, it was a steal of a deal, and chowder sounds amazingly warm and comforting to me!

I did a quick google search in the store to get inspiration, and then came home with the intention of creating my own Gluten Free Chowder, that didn’t rely on flour.
So, here you go, a deliciously healthy version of a ‘cream’ chowder that is a snap to put together!
This chowder is VASTLY lower in fat than most recipes and it’s chalk full of protein. Is it ‘diet’ food? No, I’m not gonna lie. This is a healthier version of a normally calorie laden meal. I will confess, you will be temped to eat two bowls, just keeping it real. Cream-less never tasted so delicious!
This would be fantastic served with a fresh GF biscuits a GF French Baguette to mop up the last dribbles of broth!

**As always, read through the recipe and pay attention to my notes. If you spot an error or have any questions, please ask away in the comment section so I can fix it!

Notes:
*This recipe is flexible. Don’t like green beans or corn? Maybe add some carrots to the mirepoix, or add sautéed mushrooms, or heck, add peppers if you like them! You don’t have to use shallot, it just adds a slightly different savory note. Hate tarragon? Just use dill, or add some thyme.
*Don’t let your creativity be limited.
*I use red potatoes because they hold up a bit better under the simmer than russets or yukons.
*You can substitute halibut for the cod, or even salmon, but the flavors will be more assertive and need more assertive spices and seasoning.
*I will list ingredients I use in approximate amounts, but remember, this kind of dish is flexible. If you like onions, add a bit more. You hate them? Substitute shallots. The aromatics are there to build flavor.
**Don’t be discouraged about the length of the ingredients list. It sounds like a lot, but you likely have most of it in your pantry, and if – for example – you don’t have olive oil on hand, use all butter or try substituting coconut oil. I like the flavor of butter in this dish.
*And lastly, please, try to find sustainable fish. We want to be able to enjoy this bounty from the ocean for a long time!

Gluten Free Fish Chowder

1-1.5 Cup Onion, small diced
1 Large Shallot, small diced
1 Cup Celery, small diced
3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
4 Tbsp Brown Rice Flour (just shy of 1/2 cup)
Old Bay Boil and Seasoning – just shy of 1 Tsp.
.5 Cup White Wine (I used chardonnay. Make sure its wine you’d drink!)
1 Tsp GF Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tsp Lemon Juice
2-3 Tsp Lobster Bouillon (I use Better than Bouillon brand) ((while this is optional, it really gives the broth a depth of flavor and seasoning that salt will not))
(optional: splash of Bragg Liquid Amino Acids, it adds a bit of savory salty, but not necessary)
4 Cup Fish Stock (boxed or homemade)
1.25 Cup Whole Milk
Dried Tarragon
Dried Dill Weed
White Pepper
Fresh Dill (also optional, but adds another fresh dimension and eye appeal to the dish) approximately 1-1.5 tbsp.
3 Cups Red Potatoes, cut into nice, big, one bite chunks.
Green Beans, cut into 1-1.5 inch sticks, approximately 1.5 Cup. (if using fresh, add with the potatoes, if frozen, add with the corn)
.5 Cup Frozen Corn
1.5 lb Cod, preferably fresh, but frozen/thawed will work too, diced into 1 inch pieces (see note at bottom)

Let’s get cooking!

Melt the butter in a 4-8 quart stock pot or saucepan over medium-low heat. Add onion, celery, and when they begin to soften, add the shallots.
While the aromatics cook, measure wine in a 1 cup measuring cup, and add to it, worcestershire and splash of amino acids. Set aside.
When aromatics are softened (about 5-8 minutes), add the Brown Rice Flour and Old Bay. Stir, and add the olive oil if it looks dry, it likely will.
Add the wine mixture and whisk/stir to combine, letting the alcohol cook off while stirring.
Add seafood stock while whisking vigorously. It will look lumpy but keep whisking.
Add dried herbs. Start with a generous pinch of each. (A pinch is about 1/4 tsp)
Reduce heat to a bare simmer and let cook for about 10-15 minutes.
Add whole milk.
Add potatoes and beans.
Bring back to a gentle simmer, add lemon juice (really its like a splash, designed to add a bit of acid balance to the chowder).
Add 2 tsp of Lobster Boullion.
Stir to combine, then taste, and adjust seasonings, adding a dust of white or black pepper.
Let cook uncovered, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Taste and adjust the seasonings again. (the potatoes will absorb some of the salty seasonings.) At this point, you can add the additional tsp of Lobster Bouillon if needed to boost the flavor.
Add the Cod and Corn, reduce heat further to a bare simmer, cover and cook until the fish is no longer translucent. It will take 5 minutes or less.
Add minced fresh dill.
One last adjustment of seasonings, adding more White Pepper if needed.

Serve and enjoy!
My hubby always adds tabasco to his fish chowders, but this needed nothing. It was fantastic on its own.
This serves 4 easily.

****I was serving 3. I bought 2 pounds of fresh Cod, because I got one pound for FREE! I ‘guess-ta-mated’ my fish initially, at 1.5 lbs. After serving up my chowder, (making sure the bowls were chalk full of goodies) I was left with a generous amount of broth. I added the additional .5 lb back to the broth, brought it back up to temp to cook, then packed it away for another meal. You can use 1.5 lb and stretch it quite nicely to feed 4. But you can also make it protein laden and add the extra fish.