Chowder with hot smoked salmon

serves 4
1/2 medium cauliflower, cut into small pieces
3 medium potatoes, peeled, chopped into 1.5 cm dice
2 tbsp veg oil
1 medium white onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves finely sliced
1 celery stick, thinly chopped
1 leek finely sliced
40 g unsalted butter
2 tbsp plain flour
50 ml chicken stock
250 ml whole milk
100 ml double cream
1 bay leaf
400g hot smoked salmon, broken into pieces
Chopped parsley to sprinkle on top
Serve with a crusty bread on the side
In a pot with hot water, boil the cauliflower and potato until tender, 5-10 minutes, then drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, celery and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 mins or until just tender. Add the butter and cook until melted, then add the flour and cook for 1 minute. Finally add the chicken stock and stir until the liquid is thickened. Add the milk, double cream, the vegetables and bay leaf and bring to the boil. Add 1/3 of the broken pieces of salmon, stir well to infuse the flavour of the salmon into the chowder. Then turn the heat down and simmer 10 minutes with a lid on.
Divide the chowder among 4 serving bowls, top with the broken pieces of hot smoked salmon equally into all the bowls, sprinkle parsley on top and serve with crusty bread on the side.