Fish Chowder Recipes
Fish chowder has been around as long as people have been living near water. Whether salt or freshwater, fish of all kinds make wonderful stews and chowders. Fish chowder can use any type of fish or crustacean and nearly anything else you’d like to add from your cupboards or garden. Chowder, which is a thickened soup with a milk or cream base, is the perfect dish to bring out all the flavors of good fish. Many fish chowders are made with lean white fish, although any type of fish will do. If you’re one of those people who don’t like “fishy” fish, remember that fish only tastes that way when it isn’t fresh. If fish smells fishy, don’t buy it. Although such fish won’t hurt you, the freshest fish tastes the best. It doesn’t take long to make a tasty fish chowder, either. Begin with 2 strips of bacon or salt pork cut into ¼ inch cubes; it’s easier to cut if you let it sit in your freezer for a few minutes before cutting it. Put the cubes into a soup pot over low heat; when the fat is liquefied add ½ of a chopped onion and cook till it’s translucent, about 4 minutes.
Add 2 ½ tablespoon of flour and stir until it makes a roux; cook for another 3 minutes but don’t let it brown. Whisk in one quart of fish stock, gradually, so that there are no lumps then stir until the mixture boils. Add ¼ cup of white wine and ½ pound of red potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender, taking care that the liquid doesn’t come to a full, rapid boil.
While the mixture is simmering, heat ¾ cup of half and half in a saucepan. Don’t let it come to a boil. Add it to the chowder and bring the chowder back to a simmer. Now turn the heat back to low and stir in ½ pound of haddock cut into ¾ inch cubes. Take care to be gentle enough that the fish doesn’t break apart and heat it for about 5 minutes until the haddock is thoroughly cooked. Season the chowder with kosher salt and ground white pepper and it’s ready to serve. This recipe serves 4 as a main course and 6 if used as an appetizer.There are many variations on the basic fish chowder recipe. You can add corn, diced carrots and celery or other vegetables. That’s what many of the early settlers did in order to stretch the soup to feed more people. If you want a more exotic flavor you can blend the equivalent of a whole pear with cooked butternut squash and add that to your chowder, sprinkling the bowls with nutmeg before serving.
You can also use shrimp or other crustaceans. Crab is particularly tasty in chowders, its tender meat and mild taste accentuating the other flavors rather than dominating them.
Add 2 ½ tablespoon of flour and stir until it makes a roux; cook for another 3 minutes but don’t let it brown. Whisk in one quart of fish stock, gradually, so that there are no lumps then stir until the mixture boils. Add ¼ cup of white wine and ½ pound of red potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender, taking care that the liquid doesn’t come to a full, rapid boil.
While the mixture is simmering, heat ¾ cup of half and half in a saucepan. Don’t let it come to a boil. Add it to the chowder and bring the chowder back to a simmer. Now turn the heat back to low and stir in ½ pound of haddock cut into ¾ inch cubes. Take care to be gentle enough that the fish doesn’t break apart and heat it for about 5 minutes until the haddock is thoroughly cooked. Season the chowder with kosher salt and ground white pepper and it’s ready to serve. This recipe serves 4 as a main course and 6 if used as an appetizer.There are many variations on the basic fish chowder recipe. You can add corn, diced carrots and celery or other vegetables. That’s what many of the early settlers did in order to stretch the soup to feed more people. If you want a more exotic flavor you can blend the equivalent of a whole pear with cooked butternut squash and add that to your chowder, sprinkling the bowls with nutmeg before serving.
You can also use shrimp or other crustaceans. Crab is particularly tasty in chowders, its tender meat and mild taste accentuating the other flavors rather than dominating them.
