Collegiate Times

Brian Cromer Recipe of the Week Soup

This recipe is my take on a family favorite. Using fresh fish is the most important part; frozen or old fish will not produce the same result. Adding avocado and garlic confit gives the soup a rich, chowder-like consistency.

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds rockfish

3 medium carrots

2 stalks celery

1 yellow onion

1 Thai chili

1 ripe avocado

4 cloves garlic confit

6 cups chicken stock

2 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup fresh dill

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 bunch spring onions

Directions:

1. Peel four cloves of garlic. In a small saucepan, over low heat, cook the garlic until it has browned and softened — about 30 minutes. The oil should not be sizzling or bubbling violently during cooking; it should not fry the garlic.

2. Small dice the carrot, celery and onion. On low to medium heat, saute the vegetables in oil until they are translucent — about 20 minutes. This should be done in a large saucepot to accommodate the entire chowder. Remove the vegetables.

3. Mince the chili, dice the avocado and smash the garlic confit. Melt the butter in the large saucepot over medium heat. Add the flour and garlic confit. Stir constantly until the mixture has darkened and formed a paste. Add the chicken stock, Thai chili, chopped spring onions and avocado. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

4. Cube the rockfish into 1/2-inch pieces. Add them to the soup and simmer the mixture for 20 minutes. Lower the heat and whisk in the cream, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Garnishwith dill and serve. 

A version of this article appeared in the Feb 20 issue of the Collegiate Times.