Pork belly comes from the same part of the pig as bacon — it’s simply uncured, unsmoked, and uncooked
bacon. If you can’t find it, substitute with slab or thick-sliced bacon.
Spoon after spoon, with its creamy and briny broth, tender bites of cod, Yukon gold potatoes, and savory pork
belly, this New England classic is as all-American as apple pie. Just be sure to look for fillets that are a uniform 1-inch thickness, before
cutting into good-sized chunks. This helps to ensure that the fish stays moist and doesn’t cook too quickly.
Makes: 6 servings (about 9 cups)
Total time: 11/4 hours
INGREDIENTS:
6 oz. diced pork belly (rind removed) or thick-sliced bacon
Melt:
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 cup diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
Stir In:
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry vermouth or white wine
3 bottles clam juice (8 oz. each)
1 lb. Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. minced fresh thyme
1 fresh or dried bay leaf
Add:
2 cups half-and-half
Salt, black pepper, Tabasco sauce, and Worcestershire sauce to taste
1 lb. cod fillets (1-inch thick), cut into 1-inch cubes
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
Chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges, oyster crackers, and Tabasco sauce (Optional)
Cook pork belly in a pot over low heat until it renders about 2 Tbsp. drippings, then increase
heat to medium-high and cook until pork belly is golden brown and crisp. Transfer pork belly to
a paper-towel-lined plate; reserve 2 Tbsp. drippings in pot.
Melt butter in drippings over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and garlic; sweat, covered, until
softened, about 7 minutes.
Stir in flour and cook 1–2 minutes. Deglaze pot with vermouth; cook until evaporated.
Add clam juice, potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf; bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium
and simmer chowder until potatoes are nearly tender, about 15 minutes.
Add half-and-half; season chowder with salt, pepper, Tabasco, and Worcestershire, then bring to a
simmer. Add cod to pot; simmer until potatoes are fork-tender and cod is cooked through
and easily flakes with a fork, 5–7 minutes more. Gently stir in lemon juice.
Top servings with pork belly and parsley. Serve chowder with lemon wedges, oyster crackers,
and Tabasco.
Per serving: 454 cal; 29g total fat (14g sat);
93mg chol; 465mg sodium; 25g carb (2g fiber,
5g total sugars); 22g protein
