Spiced & sour smoked fish chowder
WHAT DOES COMFORT MEAN TO YOU? A bowlful of warm soup prior to a Netflix binge? A hearty carb-loaded mac and cheese after a day spent on sports grounds (or the sidelines)? A simple roasted chicken, or burgers for close friends and family who relish messy, finger-licking good flavours and easy company? We’ve got you covered here with a few twists to keep the cook interested, too.
Leftovers can do double duty. Our art director, Fiona Lascelles, reheated the pulled celeriac and put it into steamed bao buns with cucumber (why didn’t I think of that?) I used the chicken bones from the roast chicken in a quick stock which I strained, then added the remaining chicken and chopped greens for a quick weekday soup.
SERVES 4-6 / PREPARATION 15 MINUTES / COOKING 30 MINUTES
I love the delicate smoked flavour the fish imparts here and the sour sweetness of the tamarind – but vary the tartness to taste by adding another tablespoon of tamarind paste if you love it or omitting altogether if you prefer.
300g smoked fish (I used mackerel) 500ml chicken stock
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large leek, sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
½ bunch coriander, leaves and stems pinch chilli flakes
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm dice 1 teaspoon sea salt
1 x 400g can tomatoes
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
Flake the fish into large chunks. Put the fish skin (if any) in a pan with the chicken stock and simmer until ready to use. Strain before adding to the soup. In a saucepan, heat the oil and fry the leek with the garlic until soft. Chop the coriander stems and add to the leeks along with the chilli flakes and smoked paprika and cook for a minute, then add potatoes and salt and stir to coat. Add the tinned tomatoes, tamarind paste and the strained chicken stock. Cook for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are tender. If the soup needs a little thinning, add extra water or stock to the pan. Add the flaked fish, cook for 5 minutes, add the chopped coriander leaves and serve with bread.