We love Bar Harbor clam juice, which has no salt added and a gentle, briny flavor, for this chowder recipe. It’s a good stand-in for when you don’t want to bother making fish stock (i.e., most of the time).
Ingredients
4 servings
2
4
1
1
2
2
1
4
1
1
½
Preparation
-
Step 1
Heat butter in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-low. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until brown and crisp, 8–10 minutes. Increase heat to medium and add onion, leek, celery, and bay leaves; cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent and softened, 8–10 minutes.
Step 2
Add potatoes and clam juice to pot; season lightly with salt and generously with pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 10–15 minutes. For a thicker texture, smash several pieces of potato against the sides of the pot. Add trout and buttermilk and simmer about 5 minutes (to give flavors time to blend together). Taste and season with more salt and pepper as desired. Remove from heat and stir in cream.
Step 3
Ladle chowder into bowls, top with trout roe, if desired, and season with coarsely ground pepper.
Step 4
Do Ahead: Chowder can be made 2 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat gently over low before serving.