Courtesy Tom McNary, executive chef, Soif in Santa Cruz
½ pound bacon, diced
2 cups leeks, sliced
1 cup yellow onion, diced
1½ cups yukon gold potatoes, diced
1½ cups russet potatoes, diced
3 cups fish or vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
½ cup milk
Salt and pepper, to taste
1½ pounds halibut
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon thyme
1 bay leaf
2 ears of corn
Scallions, sliced diagonally
Combine stock, cream and milk and simmer.
Cook diced bacon until crisp, remove bacon from grease and drain on paper towels.
Sauté leeks and onion in 2 tablespoons of bacon fat until soft. Sprinkle in the flour to form a roux and stir until flour has a nutty smell. Add the warm stock, cream and milk. Add diced potatoes. Add thyme and bay leaf.
Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until potatoes are easily pierced with fork. If it is too thick, add more stock.
Cut corn from the cobs and dice halibut into 1½-inch pieces. Add halibut and corn to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve topped with the bacon pieces and sliced scallions. Add hot sauce of choice to taste, if desired. Serves 4–6.
