Pacific Catch’s salmon chowder

For each bowl:

2 ounces salmon

2slices ciabatta or sourdough

2 cups clam chowder base (see recipe below)

Drizzle of lemon olive oil, garnish

Sliced green onions, garnish Crispy shallots, garnish Lemon wedge, garnish

Grill the salmon and sliced bread. Ladle 2 cups of hot clam chowder base into a bowl, place the pieces of grilled salmon atop and garnish the bowl with a drizzle of lemon olive oil, green onions and crispy shallots. Serve immediately with grilled bread and a lemon wedge.

Pacific Catch’s chowder base

Makes about 10cups ½ pound uncooked ground bacon

½ tablespoon minced garlic ½ cup diced celery 1 cup diced yellow onions 3 tablespoons clam base, like Better Than Bouillon 2cups heavy cream

6 cups water

Salt as needed

¼ pound (1stick) butter ¼ pound flour

To make the clam chowder base, cook the ground bacon in a big pot until the bacon is cooked and the fat is rendered. Strain the bacon out and reserve. Use half the bacon fat to sauté the vegetables, starting with the garlic, cooking until slightly toasted, then adding the onions and celery. Cook until translucent.

Add clam base and cooked bacon bits and stir to incorporate. Add cream and water, bring to a simmer and let mixture simmer for about 20 minutes.

In a separate small pot, melt butter gently, add flour and whisk together on medium heat for about 5minutes until the roux mixture turns light brown (blonde roux) and no lumps are visible.

Add the roux in increments to the clam chowder base, consistently whisking. You will notice the consistency get thicker. Add roux until you reach the consistency you desire. Taste the clam chowder base and add salt as needed.

— Rowena Rilla, Pacific Catch regional chef

Caramelized onion and chili ramen

Serves 4

Canola oil

1 large onion, finely sliced 3 cloves garlic, finely sliced ½ teaspoon salt

1 bird’s-eye chili, finely sliced

6½ cups vegetable stock 2 tablespoons cooking sake 1½ tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon brown rice miso

7 ounces ramen noodles ½ pound choy sum, cut into 2½-inch pieces 4 soft-boiled eggs, optional Chili oil, to serve, optional In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan, warm 5 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and salt, stir to coat in oil, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions become translucent. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting and continue to cook for 30 minutes, stirring every 5minutes. The onions will gradually caramelize and color, eventually breaking down to form a soft, sweet paste.

Add the bird’s-eye chili and stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and add the sake, soy sauce and brown rice miso, stirring well to combine. Check the seasoning and adjust if need be.

Cook your noodles according to the package instructions. Refresh in cold water and stir in a little oil to keep them from sticking together. Finally, bring the broth back to a boil, add the choy sum and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until tender.

To serve, divide your noodles between four bowls and ladle the broth and greens over the noodles. If you’re serving the eggs, peel them, halve them and pop on top of the bowls, and serve with some chile oil if you like.

— Meera Sodha, “East” (Flatiron Books, $35)

Turmeric stew with spinach and chickpeas

Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil 1 onion, thinly sliced 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground turmeric Red pepper flakes

Salt, black pepper

1 cup green lentils

6cups vegetable stock 15-ounce can chickpeas 6 cups fresh spinach Toppings: Caramelized onions, roasted walnuts, sour cream, fresh dill

In a Dutch oven or heavy pot, warm olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 4to 6minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Add ground cumin, ground turmeric, a pinch of red pepper flakes, a big pinch of salt and a pinch of black pepper and cook for another 30 seconds.

Add green lentils and cook for another 30 seconds, making sure the lentils are well combined with the onion and spice mixture. Add vegetable stock and bring to a boil, then cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer the lentils for 15 to 20minutes, until the lentils are soft but still have a bit of a bite.

Rinse chickpeas. Fold in the chickpeas and spinach and continue to cook until the beans are warmed through and the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper.

Serve the soup warm, topped with caramelized onions, roasted walnuts, sour cream and chopped fresh dill. The toppings are what take this stew from good to great, so don’t skip them.

— Amanda Frederickson, “Simple Beautiful Food” (Ten Speed Press, $22)