New England fish chowder

A happy congruence of events. Whole Foods had fresh locally caught haddock fillets on special, and my mother was visiting from landlocked Austin. What quintessential New England food should I serve? The answer, of course, was chowdah.

New England fish chowder
(Adapted from epicurious.com. See original recipe here.)
1/4 pounds bacon
2 TB unsalted butter
2 medium onions, diced
6 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed and chopped
2 bay leaves
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/3 inch thick
4.5 cups chicken broth
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
2.5 lbs skinless haddock fillets
1 and 1/2 cups heavy cream

1. Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a dish, leaving the fat in the pot, and reserve until later.

2. Add the butter, onions, savory or thyme, and bay leaves to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for about 8 minutes, until the onions are softened but not browned.

3. Add the potatoes and stock. If the stock doesn’t cover the potatoes, add just enough water to cover them. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil, cover, and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 10 minutes, until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the stock hasn’t thickened lightly, smash a few of the potato slices against the side of the pot and cook for a minute or two longer to release their starch. Reduce the heat to low and season assertively with salt and pepper (you want to almost overseason the chowder at this point to avoid having to stir it much once the fish is added). Add the fish fillets and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat and allow the chowder to sit for 10 minutes (the fish will finish cooking during this time).

4. Gently stir in the cream and taste for salt and pepper. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature, allowing the flavors to meld.

5. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don’t let it boil.

6. Use a slotted spoon to mound the chunks of fish, the onions, and potatoes in the center of large soup plates or shallow bowls, and ladle the creamy broth around. Scatter the bacon over the individual servings.

I was supposed to finish the dish with sprinklings of chopped parsley and minced chives, but reality intervened. We paired the chowder with grilled asparagus, grilled corn on the cob, and baguettes. New England delicious!

New England Fish Chowder