Russ & Daughters: Reflections and Recipes from the House that Herring Built, written by Mark Russ Federman, grandson of Russ & Daughters founder Joel Russ, is more than just a book of recipes.
If you’ve ever had a chance to visit Russ & Daughters, located in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, you’ll know what I mean when I say that to know Russ & Daughters is to love Russ & Daughters. Federman acknowledges this when he writes, “It has been said that New York has a love affair with Russ & Daughters.” He then goes on to say, “It is equally true that Russ & Daughters is in love with New York and New Yorkers.”
In 1978, Federman took over the famed Russ & Daughters (an “appetizing” store, meaning “the food one eats with bagels” and not a deli, according to Russ & Daughters’ website). In 2009, Federman passed down the family business to a fourth generation of Russes, and in retirement, he decided to write the history of the store and a love letter to the community, the neighborhood and the city.
This book is primarily a collection of anecdotes, but there are some recipes interspersed throughout. Lucky for me, our office has a kitchen; even luckier, our intern Darren Arabie is a trained cook, so he helped me out with this column during one of our busier work weeks. To get us in the mood for fall, we decided on the recipe for lox chowder. Darren even brought his own knives!
Leeks haven’t had the best growing season this year and, currently, they are a bit scarce at the grocery store. In their place, Darren used the ribs of rainbow Swiss chard.
Instead of using heavy cream, we used half-and-half, but the chowder looked a little thin, so Darren thickened it with a flour slurry. Tada! It became the perfect chowder consistency.
With Darren’s help, the vegetables were cooked perfectly, and the smoked salmon added a rich flavor. He also advised me to top the chowder with a squirt of Sriracha, which added just the right amount of heat. Our only tip is to be careful with the salt. Since the smoked salmon already has a high salt content, be sure to use a low-sodium chicken stock and a light touch when adding salt to taste.
Lox Chowder
Courtesy of Russ & Daughters
4 to 6 servings
1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 medium leeks, diced, white parts only (roughly 2 cups)
2 small stalks celery, diced
1 medium carrot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large russet potato, peeled, cut into ½ inch cubes (roughly 2 cups)
2 tsp. fresh thyme, minced
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup dry white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 bay leaf
2 cups whole milk
4 oz. smoked salmon, flaked (use collar and wings if possible)
¾ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Minced fresh chives, for garnish
• Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-bottomed stockpot over medium heat.
• Add the leaks, celery and carrot and saute until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add the garlic, potato and thyme and saute until the garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. (Be careful not to brown the garlic.)
• Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir well to create a dry roux.
• Stir in the wine, chicken stock and bay leaf, and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer until the potato cubes are tender when pierced with a fork, 30 to 35 minutes.
• Stir in the milk and salmon and return the mixture to a gentle simmer (do not boil).
• Remove and discard the bay leaf.
• Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Garnish with minced chives.
Reprinted with permission from Schocken Books. From Martha Stewart to Calvin Trillin, it seems like everyone in New York has their Russ & Daughters story from growing up. What local store or restaurant do you have fond memories of visiting ever since you were a kid? Tell us about it in the comments section below for a chance to win a copy of Russ & Daughters by Mark Russ Federman. We’ll announce the winner in next week’s By the Book column.
This article appears in September 2013.