March is often called the hungry month because those of us who try to cook locally and use sustainable ingredients find that it’s pretty slim pickings come March.  As much as we want to think of the winter being over, we still have a good amount of wind and rain to endure before we get anything green.  So what to eat on a windy, cold March evening? I, for one, never tire of a hearty soup, and I particularly love chowders.  They are surprisingly simple and don’t take a long time to cook.  They are nourishing and satisfying, but should not be heavy.  In this traditional New England fish chowder (my father’s recipe–I come from a long line of New Englanders), we start by sautéing pork fat, which lends a wonderful flavor and leaves us with crisp little pieces of pork for garnish later.  They are addictive, I warn you.  If you don’t have the pork fat back or don’t eat pork, use butter or vegetable oil.  Substituting milk for the cream is also fine, if you’re watching your calories.  We have been using wild striped bass recently, but we have switched the fish we used according to what is available locally or is sustainable and is not detrimental to the environment.  Serve the chowder with a basket of bread and some garlic-sautéed kale or Swiss chard. Enjoy!

Yield: 4 servings

½ lb. pork fat back

1 large onion, roughly chopped

2 large starchy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold or Russet, peeled (if desired), ½” diced

2 cups fish stock, clam juice, chicken stock or vegetable stock

1 large can chopped clams

1 pound  local clams, such as little neck or cherry stone

1 pound firm white fish, such as wild striped bass, diced into bite-sized chunks

½ cup milk

1 cup heavy cream

Chopped herbs, such as parsley and chives, for garnish

Remove the rind of the pork fat back if still intact and reserve.  Cut the remaining pork into ¼” dice.  (If there’s time, freeze the pork for an hour and it will be easier to cut). Heat a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat and add the rind and diced pork fat.  Cook until the pork cubes are golden brown and crisp.  Drain on a paper-towel lined plate and reserve for garnish.  Leave the rind in the pan.  Carefully remove excess fat from the pan, saving it for another use, leaving about ¼ cup in the bottom of the pan.  Add the onion and cook until softened but not brown.  Add the potatoes and broth.  If using clams, strain the juice from the can of clams into the pot, reserving the clams.  The liquid should just cover the vegetables.  Simmer until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart (insert a knife to check for doneness), about 15 minutes.  Add the milk and cream.  Heat until simmering, taking care not to boil the mixture.  Adjust seasoning.  A good amount of freshly cracked black pepper is traditional and delicious.  Discard rind.

Variations:

Clam chowder: add the fresh clams to the pot and simmer until they open.  Discard any that do not open.  Add the reserved canned clams.  Taste once more and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

Fish chowder:  add the fish to the pot and simmer until the chunks are cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Taste once more and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

A mixture of both clams and fish is also delicious!

Ladle soup into bowls.  Sprinkle with the reserved pork fat and herbs.  Serve with a salad and good crusty bread.