So I’ve been reading up a bit on Finland and it’s cuisine and folk tales, and I came across lohikeitto, Finland’s version of salmon chowder. I decided to give it a go, and lo and behold it is a great, hearty soup. The key to making it fragrant is dill. Lots of dill.
Here’s the recipe I used to make it.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound skinless salmon fillets (you can use the skins for making fish stock)
- 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 large leek, chopped
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 4-5 sprigs of dill, chopped (save some for garnish)
- 1 bayleaf
- 4 cups fish stock
- 1/2 teaspoon of allspice
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Preparation
1. Melt the butter in a pot or Dutch oven, and saute your leeks until soft. Add the carrots and bayleaf and saute some more until fragrant.
2. Add the fish stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Add the dill and allspice. The potatoes should be fork-tender in about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how big the cubes are.
3. Cut the salmon into into bite-sized chunks. Add the salmon, bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes more or until the salmon is cooked through. Add the cream at the very end, and simmer for a bit more.
4. Add the salt and pepper until the taste is to your liking.
5. Serve hot! Garnish with a bit of dill.
That’s it. That’s all there is to it. The hardest part is perhaps making the fish stock, which you can buy from a store if it’s too much of a fuss to make, or you can replace it with veggie stock if you can’t find fish stock (though it’s less authentic that way).
