Gf North By Northwest Seafood Chowder Recipe

Rinse and scrub clams; discard any with cracked shells or that do not close when tapped. Pat all seafood dry and cut salmon, halibut and cod into roughly 1‑inch pieces. Peel and dice potatoes; finely dice onion, carrot and celery; thinly slice leek; mince garlic; chop parsley and slice chives if using.

Sweat aromatics

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter over medium heat until butter foams. Add diced onion, leek, carrot and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are soft and translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Add garlic and tomato paste

Add the minced garlic and tomato paste; cook, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until the paste darkens slightly and the garlic becomes fragrant (this deepens the tomato flavor).

Deglaze

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Increase heat slightly and simmer until the wine has reduced by about half, roughly 3–4 minutes.

Build chowder

Stir in the crushed tomatoes, smoked paprika, crushed red pepper (if using), thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Add the diced potatoes and the fish stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer and cook until potatoes are tender but not falling apart, about 12–15 minutes.

Finish base

Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in the heavy cream and remaining 1 tbs butter and 1 tbs olive oil. Adjust salt and pepper to taste (start with the recipe amounts and add more if needed). Keep the broth at a gentle simmer (do not boil vigorously) while you prepare the seafood.

Cook clams

In a separate wide sauté pan, heat 1 tbs olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the clams and 1/4 cup of the white wine (from the measured cup). Cover and steam for 4–6 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally, until clams open. Remove opened clams with tongs into a bowl and reserve their steaming liquid. Discard any clams that remain closed.

Add seafood to chowder

Add the reserved clam steaming liquid to the chowder (watch salt level). Gently stir in the cod pieces first and simmer 2 minutes, then add halibut and simmer another 2 minutes, and finally add the salmon and simmer 2–3 minutes more, until all fish pieces are opaque and just cooked through (total seafood cooking time should be about 6–8 minutes).

Return clams

Stir the steamed clams into the chowder to warm through for 1 minute. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon if needed.

Remove the pot from heat. Stir in chopped parsley and sliced chives. Add lemon juice and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Ladle the chowder into bowls and serve with gluten-free crusty bread on the side if desired.

Storage: Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 2 days (seafood quality declines after that). Reheat gently over low heat to avoid overcooking the fish.