A fresh new recipe!

Because you've earned it. Thank you for supporting me these past few weeks

Nov 09, 2024

Oh girl. What a week.

It has been a week of lows and highs, happiness and mourning, and frankly I’m still trying to find the right way to navigate it all. By now we all know the American election results, and I’m not naive enough to forget that my audience is big, and just by that nature, I’m guaranteed to have people here with differing views. But I was hurt. I was saddened. I realized I live in a wildly optimistic bubble. I lost a bit of hope.

But I believe open dialogue is our only way forward (to maybe a less-angry and affronted country?? If that’s possible??), and you can hear my overarching views here. I will always be a better speaker than I am a writer.

Yet that exact same day, we received the news that my cookbook, “Justine Cooks,” is a New York Times Best Seller! A bright spot this week, and I am so so grateful to everyone. You helped make this happen, and if you bought the book, I hope you are loving the recipes.

But the thing about writing a book? IT IS PROMO CITY UP IN HERE. I feel like I haven’t produced a new recipe in MONTHS (….it’s only been three weeks but still!!), and my body is aching to publish something new.

So for you, my brave steak frites, my favorite newsletter readers, my sweet potato gnocchis - we have a NEW RECIPE. A chowder that is simple, seasonal and guaranteed to heal, comfort, and nourish.

Sablefish (or any fish) Chowder with Lemon & Kale

Get the full recipe here.

I love this soup because it builds flavor in a lot of delicate, interesting ways.

First, you cook down onion and fennel until they are beginning to get melty, around 10-12 minutes. I’ve been in a caramelizing onions phase, and while we don’t push them nearly as far here, what this step does is create a strong base of flavor while pushing out any anise-y notes that the fennel holds.

Second, is garlic and herbs and spices, which are minimal! I opted for only rosemary, thyme, paprika and cayenne. They give warming fall notes to the soup, but the paprika adds smokiness and the cayenne’s heat balances what would otherwise be a one-note stew.

Then the root vegetables go in, but the Third flavor builder is the addition of a cup of white wine. It’s always optional, but….not really. The subtle acid primes the soup for the finish of lemon. You will miss it if it’s gone, but if you absolutely MUST skip it, add 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar instead.

Fourth, a cup of clam juice goes in before the broth. And clam juice is super easy to find in the tinned fish section of your grocery store, and it is such a slept on ingredient! I was introduced to it in Étouffée, and I’ve been using it to add salinity and depth to my soups ever since. Look for the Cento brand because it comes in a perfect 8 ounce bottle.

Fifth, the simmering time really does matter. Let this soup go for at least 20 minutes, 40 if you really want to let it build!

For texture, I use an immersion blender to blend half of the soup, still leaving some whole vegetables to keep it creamy but hearty. You can also scoop out some cups of the soup and blend those in a traditional blender, then add them back into the soup!

Now the sablefish: It is a white fish from Alaska, and I love it. It cooks down into a rich, tender texture, think of it like a mixture between salmon and swordfish. I cube it up and add it to the soup with the kale. Both only need six minutes of simmer time until they are perfectly combined in the soup. Heavy cream finishes it off, but you can also use cashew cream or half-and-half if you like!

If you don’t have sablefish? I get it. Halibut, cod, flounder, skate, or any white fish will work well in this recipe!

And the last flavor builder? Lemon zest and juice. Use half a lemon if you don’t love an acidic finish, use the whole lemon if you are like me and cannot get enough.

What you’re left with is a creamy, balanced chowder and more vegetables than I can even begin to handle. Which is what I’m always going for: wholesome ingredients with strong Chicken-Pot-Pie Energy.

Serve this with crusty bread and olive oil on top. I hope you love it as much as I do.

You can get the full recipe here.

And don’t forget!! BOOK TOUR IS STILL GOING! And I would love to meet you. I am so tired but so happy, and here are a few images from an amazing event we did in Chicago, sponsored by the lovely Kerrygold Butter.