La Cotriade (Breton Chowder)
This dish is a typical stew of white fish and potatoes from Brittany, France. Eliminate the pork fat and substitute olive oil for use during lent or for a more vegetarian-like dish.
2 quarts lightly salted water- 3 tablespoons chopped salt pork fat
- 4 onions, quartered
- 6 medium potatoes (approx. 2 pounds), peeled, and roughly chopped
- 1 bouquet garni (sprig of thyme, bay leaf, & parsley stem, tied with twine
- 2 – 2 ½ pounds mixed white fish, cleaned, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- French bread slices, lightly toasted
- 2 tablespoons crushed peppercorns
- 1 cup white wine vinegar
- Bring the pot of salted water to boil.
- In a large, heavy saucepan, heat the salt pork fat and let the fat melt.
- Add the onion quarters. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two until onions begin to soften.
- Add the potatoes chunks and bouquet garni and continue cooking, stirring occasionally until the onions caramelize, approximately 10 minutes.
- Pour in the boiling water to cover the potatoes and cook for about l5 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
- Add the fish; cook 3 minutes and remove with a slotted spoon.
- Dissolve the coarse salt in the broth.
- Pour the broth into a tureen lined with bread slices.
- Add the fish.
- Mix the peppercorns with the wine vinegar in a separate bowl.
- Ladle the chowder into bowls and drizzle the vinegar sauce into the soup for flavor.
