Hawaiian Kanpachi Chowder

This recipe is brought to you by Chef Vitaly Paley

Chef’s note:

When you read through the ingredients, you will notice there is no salt added. I use miso instead to season this soup. Although this recipe calls for homemade Kanpachi fish stock that gets seasoned as it cooks, you may substitute with store bought fish broth or clam juice. Taste for seasoning as you cook this chowder. You may need to adjust to your liking with salt. If you are not able to find crème fraiche, which adds a bit more of richness and acid balance to the dish, feel free to use the heavy cream alone and double the amount. Just add a squeeze of lemon at the end if you prefer.

1. In a large Dutch oven or a 6-quart soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden all over, about 5 minutes.
2. Push the bacon to the edges of the pot to create a circle.
3. Add the leeks, celery, and fennel into the middle of the pot. Cook, stirring just the vegetables as best as you can for about 3 minutes.
4. Add the miso and continue cooking, stirring, and mixing all together with bacon until well incorporated, another 3 minutes.
5. Add the wine, fish stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaves.
6. Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to release all the brown bits that might have formed there, about 10 minutes.
7. Reduce the heat to medium, add potatoes, cover, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. 
8. Stir in the cream and crème fraiche then bring back to simmer, about 5 minutes.
9. Add Kanpachi pieces and cook until the fish is just cooked through, about 5 minutes.
10. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Divide chowder in bowls, give a healthy grind of black pepper into each bowl, garnish with sliced scallions and goldfish crackers. Serve immediately.