PNW Seafood Chowder with Lemon & Dill

Ingredients

• ●3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ●1 large onion, diced
• ●2 stalks celery, diced
• ●3 cloves garlic, minced
• ●3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ●4 cups fish stock or clam juice
• ●1 cup whole milk
• ●1 cup heavy cream
• ●1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed (½ inch)
• ●½ pound salmon fillet, skin removed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ●½ pound halibut fillet, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ●½ pound prawns, peeled and deveined
• ●8 ounces clams or mussels, scrubbed (or 1 can clam meat)
• ●Zest of 2 lemons
• ●Juice of 1 lemon
• ●½ cup fresh dill, finely chopped
• ●Salt and white pepper
• ●1 bay leaf

Method

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes until softened but not browned.
2. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Sprinkling the flour over the vegetables, stir and cook for 2 minutes — this cooks out the raw flour taste and builds the foundation for the chowder's body.
3. Slowly whisk in the fish stock, ensuring no lumps form. Add the bay leaf. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes — this step develops the flavor base before the dairy is added.
4. Add the milk, cream, and potatoes. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes until the potatoes are just tender. The dairy is now integrated into a warm, savory base, which helps it incorporate smoothly without curdling.
5. Add the salmon, halibut, prawns, and clams. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the seafood is just cooked through — wild Pacific seafood is done at 52°C (125°F) internal temperature. The fish should still feel slightly yielding at the center; it will continue cooking off the heat.
6. Remove from heat. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the lemon zest and the fresh dill (the residual heat is enough — cooking dill kills its fresh, bright flavor). Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes to meld the flavors.
7. Stir in the lemon juice gradually, tasting as you go. The lemon should brighten the dill and cut through the richness — it should NOT taste sour. If it does, a pinch of sugar balances it. Season generously with salt and white pepper. The chowder should be creamy and luxurious without being leaden — the lemon keeps it bright.
8. Serve in deep bowls with crusty sourdough bread.
9. *Storage:** Refrigerate for up to 3 days. The chowder thickens as it sits — thin with milk when reheating. Freezes well for up to 2 months (the seafood texture will change slightly).
10. *Seasonal note:** This is a use-what's-fresh recipe. The PNW waters offer different seafood by season. In spring and summer, spot prawns and dungeness crab are extraordinary. In fall and winter, chinook salmon and Pacific cod take over. Let the fish counter guide you — if it's fresh and local, it belongs in this chowder. For the most authentic Pacific Northwest version, prioritize wild salmon and dungeness crab when available; the lemon-dill-citrus brightness is the signature that separates this from a standard New England chowder.