Well, how could I resist? I just had to make salmon corn chowder. Why? Thank colleague Matt Swaim of the Sonrise Morning Show. We chatted early today and I shared a chicken chowder recipe (see chicken corn chowder post).  Matt is a creative and sometimes “out of the box” cook and said he makes a version using salmon and shallots and whipping cream. So except for the shallots, I had ingredients on hand. Here’s how I did it:

SALMON CORN CHOWDER

• Ingredients
  6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 medium onions, diced (2 cups) or diced shallots to taste
• 1 rib celery, diced
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 quart chicken broth, low sodium (or fish or veggie broth)
• 2 baking potatoes, peeled and diced
• Whipping cream – I started out with 1 cup and added more
• 4 cups thawed frozen corn (or fresh – I used my home grown frozen corn)
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• Tabasco sauce to taste
• Salt and pepper
• About 1 pound salmon or so, cut into 1″ pieces
• Thinly sliced jalapeno peppers, parsley, lemon pepper, and/or green onions for garnish (optional but good)
• Instructions

1. Cook the bacon until almost crisp. Add onions, potatoes and celery and cook until onions are softened.
2. Sprinkle flour over onions and mix well; cook 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Mixture may look lumpy.
3. Add broth. Bring to a low boil and cook until potatoes are tender.
4. Stir in everything else but salmon. Cook until heated hot, then stir in salmon and cook until done. This won’t take long. Sprinkle with garnishes if using.