In the early months of Utah’s winter season, the darkening days can become wearing. Luckily, Chef Matthew Safranek of Park City restaurant 350 Main is sharing a trout chowder recipe that’s proven to boost moods and warm the soul.
Chef Matthew is sharing a recipe from his East Coast roots, perfect for the current weather and eating while you binge-watch whatever it is that’s getting you through these potentially dull times.
“This recipe is about as pared down as I can get it without some of the measurements being wonky, but it’s chowdah so why are you making a small batch anyway? We serve it with house made furikake crackers and lots of scallions. Chives would be welcome, as would oyster crackers or plain old saltines. This was just going to be a winter soup, but I think its going to stay on the menu year round as an homage to my background as a developing chef (even though I am still developing).”
Smoked Trout Chowder Recipe
Broth
- 1/2 lb. bonito
- 1 8”x8” sheets kombu
- 25 smoked trout skins
- 1.5 gallons water
Roux
- 3/4 cups lard
- 3/4 cups duck fat
- 3 1/3 cups flour
Guts
- 1/4 cup lard
- 1/4 cup duck fat
- 1 bunch thyme, chopped
- 3 Tbsp. chopped garlic
- 1 Tbsp. cup ground white pepper
- 5 large white onions, diced small
- 1 lb. diced celery
- 1 lb. diced daikon
- 1 cups miso paste
- 25 smoked trout, ground lightly
- 3 quarts half and half
Method
Make a broth Dashi broth with the bonito flakes, kombu, trout skins, and water.
Make a roux with the 1st quantities of lard and duck fat, and the flour.
Heat up the second quantities of lard and duck fat and cook the guts until soft and translucent.
Bring the dashi and half and half to a boil with the roux while running an immersion blender. Alternatively, slowly add the dashi 1 quart at a time while whisking furiously.
Whisk in the guts, miso, and ground trout. bring to 185 degrees for 30 seconds.
If you’re in need of a quick soup fix, we’ve got a list of our favorite alternatives to the standard chicken noodle soup you can find in Salt Lake City.
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