a WINNER from the Outdoor News

[ThunderLund78]

I tried the Creamy Walleye & Wild Rice Chowder recipe that was in the Outdoor News a couple of weeks ago - I have to tell you, this is the BEST soup I've made in a LONG time.  It is NOT healthy, but a dang fine "Special Occasion" soup.  And it's really easy.

INGREDIENTS - In order of use:

3 strips of thick-cut bacon

½ cup butter

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped onion

1 cup shredded carrots

1/3 cup flour

4 cups chicken broth (one carton)

1 cup water

1 lb Walleye cut into Bite-sized chunks

1/4 tsp Thyme

Dash of Cayenne Pepper

2 cups half & half

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 cups wild rice (2 cups measured precooked)

 

First, get the Wild Rice cooking per the package directions - usually takes about 50 minutes.  Then prep the rest of the ingredients -   At about the point where you have 30 minutes left on the rice, Start the by cutting-up the bacon strips into 4ths and fry in the bottom of your soup pot or Dutch oven.  when the bacon is crisp, remove it, let cool and chop into bacon bits.

Now add the butter -

(The recipe says leave ALL the grease in the pan and put the butter in to melt.  But next time I will discard most of the grease - I'll tell you why later.)  I had to include a picture of butter melting in bacon grease - just because

Once butter is melted, add the celery, onions and carrots and saute for about 3 minutes.  Once onions are translucent, slowly stir in the flour.  Now you can slowly add in the Chicken broth (about 1/2 cup at time) and water - constantly stirring with a wire whisk.  Bring this to a boil and carefully add-in the chunks of fish, then the thyme and cayenne pepper.  Reduce to a simmer and let this mixture cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Then slowly add in the half & half and cheese, again while stirring.  Once cheese is melted-in add the Wild Rice and re-introduce the chopped bacon.  Reduce heat to low and let cook for 20 minutes. Give it a stir every now and then.

Serve in a bread bowl or with crusty french bread.

While I love pork fat as much as the next guy, I think using all the bacon grease like the recipe said was overkill and unnecessary.  The soup had a perfect creamy color when you stirred it, but the grease layer on-top was orange ( you can kind of see it above) - I spent 5 minutes carefully skimming the grease off with a spoon before we ate it.  I got rid of most of it - next time I will dump most of the grease leaving only the residual stuff in the pan before adding the butter.  Plenty of of other fat in this dish.  But this soup was AMAZING!  Give it a try!

[lovebigbluegills]

That looks and sounds fantastic!!!  Not to mention incredibly tasty!!!

[RebelSS]

That looks GREAT!  I have to try it!!!  I think you have my "pot" and stove...is that a Calphalon pot?

[leechlake]

smurf probably welded that pot too.  He seems to have his torch on everything...

[reinhard1]

Thanks!! I will try this one [as soon as I get some eye's] which hopefully will be soon.  good luck.

[smurfy]

smurf probably welded that pot too.  He seems to have his torch on everything...

[bobberineyes]

Thanks for sharing and testing it for us all thunderlund.  All I have for fish is one eye and some sunnies,  gonna havta give it a go...

[delcecchi]

Thanks!! I will try this one [as soon as I get some eye's] which hopefully will be soon.  good luck.

Probably could make it with cod or even tilapia and not taste much difference.    You guys must catch more eyes than I do...    Maybe pike or smallie or gills would work.

[leechlake]

my sister made somethings similar this fall and used tilapia and it was good.  I should have left it alone cause I jumped the gun and thickened it before it thickened on it's own.  She had to thin it out a bit.  Some of us have to find a way to use all our walleyes up.  I save tilapia for good like you save walleyes for good

 

[ThunderLund78]

Probably could make it with cod or even tilapia and not taste much difference.    You guys must catch more eyes than I do...    Maybe pike or smallie or gills would work.

I forgot to mention - I too was out of caught fish, so i just bought a pound of frozen cod.  You can use any decent-sized flaky white fish.  I will say that the recipe stated that panfish fillets don't hold-up as well because they're thinner.

Reb - You got me on the type of pot.  All I know is that it's from Pampered Chef and we got it for our wedding back in 2004.  Still works fine.

[reinhard1]

I still have some of those pots from Pampered Chef as well.  I held a Pampered Chef Party back then.  good luck.

[leechlake]

RH???   Do we need an intervention or was this just a one time thing?  I don't want to hear any excuses...just yes or no.  We're here for you if you need us.

I still have some of those pots from Pampered Chef as well.  I held a Pampered Chef Party back then.  good luck.

Was it in conjunction with a scrapbooking party?  Geez!

Edited December 18, 2015 by leechlake

[delcecchi]

I am more of a tri-ply stainless guy my self.  Couple things from all clad, and the rest cheaper imitations. 

[reinhard1]

It was a one time thing, but the good thing was that I had ALL women that day and they bought some stuff so I came out pretty good with a few free pans.  Ended up that those pots and pans lasted to this day although I am going to get a few new one's soon but I don't have any other "party's" in mind.  It was really a good time.  I had a nice spread of food for the gals and we exchanged some ideas ect.  I warmed them up with some wine, so to increase the buying potential.  Haven't done nothing like that since.  good luck.

[leechlake]

I figured you'd have all women, nice work.

You should do another one but with a butchering/sausage theme.  You'd have a line going down the block...

[Mid-Lake Rock]

Got three pheasants in the fridge right now.  I'm going to sub those for the fish.  

[ThunderLund78]

I bet that would be awesome, Mid Lake!  Probably would want to pre-cook the pheasant is a little butter.

[Boar]

that looks really good, thanks for posting that one!!