½ pound small red potatoes
½ pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch-wide strips
2 cups chopped scallions (from 2 bunches)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (3 cloves)
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1 Turkish or ½ California bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon dried hot red-pepper flakes
3 cups whole milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 (1½ pound) piece salmon fillet (preferably wild), skin discarded and fish cut into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Garnish: chopped fresh chives

Cut potatoes into cubes and boil gently in salted water 10 minutes, until tender but not squishy. Drain in a colander and set aside.

Cook bacon in a 5-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, turning, until crisp, about 8 minutes. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pot, then cook scallions, corn, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and red-pepper flakes in pot over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until scallions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add milk and cream and bring just to a boil. Reduce heat to moderately low, then add potatoes, salmon, bacon, salt, and pepper and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until salmon is just cooked through and begins to break up as you stir, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaf before serving.

This is so good, it’s a whole meal.  And there’s no need for bread on the side.  (Alan says “bread always goes with soup.”)  So, maybe a warm sourdough.  

As adapted from Gourmet Magazine