Fish Chowder

Served at John and Bryony Simons' Christmas Eve wedding.

Adapted from Miss Beecher’s domestic receiptbook: designed as a supplement to her Treatise on domestic economy

Fish Chowder

Fish (haddock and striped bass are best)

6-8 good sized slices salt pork

Split crackers

Black pepper

Red pepper

Chopped onion

Pounded cracker

Mushroom catsup (recipe to follow)

Port wine (optional)

1 lemon, juice and slices

Salt (optional)

Cut fish into pieces 1 inch thick and 2 inches square. Put salt pork in the bottom of an iron pot and fry them in the pot until crisped. Take out the pork, leaving the fat. Chop the pork fine. Put in the pot a layer of fish, a layer of split crackers, some of the chopped pork, black and red pepper, and chopped onion, then another layer of fish, split crackers, and seasoning. This do until you have used your fish. Then just cover the fish with water and stew slowly till the fish is perfectly tender. Take out the fish, and put it in the dish in which you mean to serve it; set it to keep warm. Thicken the gravy with pounded cracker; add, if you like, mushroom catsup and Port wine. Boil the gravy up once and pour over the fish; squeeze in lemon and garnish with lemon slices. If not salty enough from the pork, more must be added.

From "Memories in the Kitchen: Bites and Nibbles From 'Bryony'"

All proceeds benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters of Will and Grundy Counties. www.bbbswillgrundy.org.

Order the cookbook at www.bryonyseries.com.