Baked Fish Chowder

Someone had asked for my baked fish chowder recipe. I originally found this in Cook & Tell, my favorite cooking newsletter (see link in sidebar), but I have adapted it somewhat to make it much lower in fat than the original. The seasonings remain the same, and this is very flavorful and warming.

BAKED FISH CHOWDER

2 lb. haddock, hake or pollock fillets (probably most any mild white fish
would work fine)
4 med. potatoes, peeled
2 1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. freshly ground pepper
1/4 t. cayenne pepper
1/4 t. chili powder
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 bay leaf
3 med. onions, cut in chunks (I sometimes use 2 or 3 green onions, snipped, instead)
1-2 T. butter, cut in 2 pieces (original recipe called for 1/2 cup butter -- I can’t even imagine it!)
1/4 t. dried dill weed
2 1/4 cups boiling water
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1 can evaporated milk, fat-free or regular (original recipe called for half & half cream)

Preheat oven to 375º. Put fish in a 3 qt. casserole dish with a cover, or a Dutch oven. Layer potatoes on top of fish. Sprinkle with the salt, pepper, cayenne, and chili powder, then add garlic and bay leaf. Top with onions, butter, and dill. Pour in boiling water. Cover and bake for 1 hour. Stir evaporated. milk or half and half into the chowder. Remove bay leaf and serve hot with crusty bread or crackers.

This is probably the easiest fish chowder recipe I’ve ever seen, and it is fabulous! The spices give it a nice flavor and an unusual “kick.” This is so yummy on a cold night. When fresh fish is too costly, frozen fish fillets work just fine in this recipe.