This isn't your typical potato chowder. That said, I'll argue that it still checks all the boxes - hearty, chunky, warming, satisfying. It's the sort of bowl you want to enjoy on the coldest of days, or when you're trying to shake off a chill after a day outdoors. The chowder itself is quite simple, and winks at the Japanese pantry with a finishing swirl of miso, and a touch of sake in the base. You can make it with whole dairy milk, or organic soy milk, and I can imagine a coconut milk version being great as well, but haven't worked out the ratio. To the potato chowder base I add some cooked green lentils (or mung beans) and blanched broccoli, as a protein boost and then to work in some vibrant green - making this a true one-bowl meal. You can enjoy the chowder on it's own, or finished with a spicy chile sauce (I've included a special recipe for that below as well)....
This inspiration for this came in a round-about fashion. Wayne and I went to a friend's house for New Years Eve. Malinda made a beautiful meal inspired by this book. One of my resolutions for 2016 was to cook more in clay, and having that meal kick off the year seemed wonderfully serendipitous. Malinda's meal was cooked in various Japanese clay vessels and donabe (hot pots). My thoughts on donabe cooking warrants a post of it's own, but there are so many things I love about it - the way cooking vessels are used as communal serving vessels, the sensory theatre that happens as you lift the lid from a pot, passing shared plates...
There are just so many nuanced differences about cooking and serving in clay. And as far as technique goes, cooking in covered clay (for example in this sort of rice pot, or with this sort of smoker), is...different. Because you aren't supposed to be checking on your progress constantly - you often cover and commit. It requires you to get to know your pots and stove (or heat source) in a more intimate way. Trust builds over time, because you can no longer rely on your eyes to tell you how things are progressing. It's like shooting with an old film camera. Malinda sent me home with her copy of Naoko Takei Moore & Kyle Connaughton's book - Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking, and I used one of their chowder recipes (Salmon Chowder with Miso Soy-Milk Broth) as a jumping off point for this vegetarian version. For this recipe a donabe is not required, but you can use one if you have one. I'll also include their Chunky La-Yu recipe below, a spicy toasted sesame and chile oil - you can make it ahead of time, and it's good on everything, especially this chowder.
I posted a photo of the chowder to Instagram a couple of weeks back. Leftovers served over rice, with chile oil, and lots of broccoli. Enjoy! -h
Continue reading A New Take on Potato Chowder...
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