Old Timber Outdoors
A freshly caught walleye
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Walleye fillets, skinless

Walleye Chowder with Bacon and Potatoes

A creamy chowder of potatoes, bacon and thyme with chunks of walleye added at the end so they stay tender.

Serves
6
Hands-on
40 min
Total
1 hr
Skill
Easy

Cooks on: Stovetop · Lunch, Dinner

Ingredients

  • 1½ lbWalleye fillets, skinless, pin bones removed, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1½ lbPotatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
  • 1Onions, diced
  • 1Carrots, diced
  • 2 tbspButter
  • 3 tbspFlour
  • 2 cupsMilk
  • ½ cupHeavy cream
  • 1½ tspSalt
  • ½ tspBlack pepper, ground
  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2 cups fish or chicken stock
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh chives or parsley

You'll need

  • Dutch oven
  • Stovetop
  • Instant-read thermometer

Contains

Fish, Dairy, Gluten. Store-bought stock can contain soy or other allergens. Check the label.

Method

  1. Cook the bacon in the Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Lift it out with a slotted spoon and leave about 2 tbsp of the fat in the pot.
  2. Add the butter, onion and carrot and cook, stirring, until the onion is soft, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir 1 minute.
  3. Slowly whisk in the stock, then the milk. Add the potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, and cook, stirring often so nothing sticks, until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
  5. Stir in the cream. Add the walleye chunks and simmer gently, without stirring hard, 5 to 7 minutes, until the fish is opaque, flakes easily, and the thickest chunk reads 145°F.
  6. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in most of the bacon and serve topped with the rest of the bacon and the chives or parsley.

When it's done: 145°F

Federal guidance: 145°F, or until the flesh is no longer translucent and separates easily with a fork.

If it goes wrong

Thin chowder
Simmer it a few minutes longer before adding the fish, or mash a few potato cubes against the side of the pot.
Grainy or separated
The pot boiled. Keep it at a gentle simmer once the milk goes in.
Fish broken into shreds
Add it last and stir gently, folding from the bottom, only once or twice.

Leftovers. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours. Reheat gently, stirring, to 165°F; do not boil or the milk can separate.