Our Notorious Smoked Salmon Chowder

The Smoked Salmon chowder here at Boundary Bay Brewery has become one of our signature dishes.  It’s a fairly simple chowder of potatoes, smoked salmon, carrots, celery and onion in a rich cream base. We serve it up with fresh baked bread here at the brewery for only $3.99 for a cup, $5.50 for a bowl, or as a soup/salad combo for $8.99.  This is one of those menu items that people rave about constantly and ask for the recipe relentlessly.  There’s even a weekly excursion here in Bellingham called the Chowder Charter which features our smoked salmon chowder.  A 65 foot ketch called the Shawmanee sails around the Bellingham Bay each Wednesday during the summer.  $45 gets you a 3 hour sail aboard the Shawmanee, a wonderful Rosemary Bread Bowl (from Avenue Bread!) of Smoked Salmon Chowder from Boundary Bay Brewery, and an experience you will not soon forget!

And, at long last…after so many requests, we’re finally sharing our recipe here with you!

BOUNDARY BAY BREWERY SMOKED SALMON CHOWDER

3.5 cups diced potatoes
2.5 cups diced carrots
3 cups onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup garlic, chopped
1.5 cups clam juice
1.5 cups white wine
1.5 tsp dried thyme
1/2 cup butter
1 cup flour
6 cups heavy cream
1.5 cups smoked salmon (we smoke our salmon right here in-house, but we recommend you use smoked salmon from Barlean’s!)

Boil the vegetables in the clam juice, wine and dried thyme.  Heat up the cream.  Melt the butter in a pot and add the flour slowly to make a roux.  Add the cream to the roux and stir.  When the vegetables are soft, and the cream/roux mix is warm, add the cream/roux to the vegetable pot.  Add the salmon.  Let it cook for a few more minutes.  Enjoy with a Boundary Bay Brewery ESB (or your other favorite BBAY brew!).  Cheers!