Years ago, I remember watching a movie at school about catching fish in the Great Lakes. The Icemen were using saws to cut long trenches in the ice so they could drop huge nets. Their catch included perch, whitefish, and walleyes. 

I remember the old guys sitting in an icehouse getting warm next to a woodstove. They were cleaning some of their catch for lunch. The meal became a Fish Chowder, that I swear I could smell and taste through the air in the auditorium. 

Since then, I have tried to master a fun and tasty way to make Fish Chowder. It is a perfect dish on a cold and miserable day, or when you need a warm pick me up on the water. 

• 3 cans of Potato soup ( you can make it from scratch but the cans make for a quick and easy method afield)
• 1 ¼ pints of Half and Half
• 1-2 lbs. of fresh filets
• ½ an onion
• 3-5 stalks of celery
• ¼-1/2 lb. of butter
• ¼ lb. of thick sliced bacon.

Fry the bacon until done and crumble it up. Dice the celery and onion. Mix it all together and simmer, low and slow. 

Add some salt and pepper or Old Bay seasoning to your taste. You can serve the soup in Coffee mugs with crackers, bread, salad bread cubes or shredded cheese. 

This simple and quick chowder will hit the spot!

Montana Grant