Speedy Fish Chowder Recipe (2024)

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lizhobbins

Really out of my comfort zone to just “make it up” LOL, but this was delicious. Made enough for two hungry people on a really cold night.2 slices baconMedium onion10 baby red potatoes2 carrotsKosher salt and black pepperSmoked paprika (which I think made a HUGE difference)1 C frozen corn4 C fish stock.5 C white wine.25 C heavy cream8 oz cod

LK

Don't cut the raw fish into chunks. Immerse the entire fillets in the liquid; they'll break up naturally as soon as they're cooked through.

lenora

try with coconut milk (full fat) really, really amazing...with some crushed lemongrass...

mae

Amazing & yes speedy! Started with jar of anchovies & its oil, garlic w/the other stated ingredients, bottle of clam juice & water. Perfect for this sloshy night in NY.

Susie

Excited that this turned out so well as I don’t cook w/ fish much. Started by dissolving 2 anchovies into olive oil & butter. Added onion, carrot, celery, potato, red pepper flake, smoked paprika & blk pepper. For liquid, used Pinot Grigio, chicken broth & clam juice. Thickened w/ half & half. Added .75lb tilapia & canned minced clams. Rough chopped 15 pre-cooked shrimp into bowls before ladling in stew. Voila! Fish stew. Served with garlic toast. Fam loved it. Does into reg rotation. Thx, Sam!

Susan C

I've made this for years and love to throw in a good lot of chopped parsley at the end along with lots of black pepper. Cod is good.

pix

For yellow color as shown in photo, add 1 t turmeric. Instant yellow magic plus hint of added flavor.

Michelle

Wow am I a chef? Used cod + bacon + leeks + carrots + potatoes + veg stock + clam juice + paprika + slices of hot pepper + a few dashes of Worcestershire for depth. I cant wait to make this again and impress my bf whos not my bf

Catherine

2 slices baconOlive oilOnionCarrotCeleryPotatoCorn 1 cupThyme stemsBay leafPimentonPepperClam juice, water, white wine. 1:1:11/2 cup heavy creamCodWhite fishChopped parsley

Fred

No need to pre-cook the fish. The heat of the chowder will take care of that. Pre cooking or boiling the fish will over-cook. Good rule of thumb for any seafood chowder.

NH

A bottle of clam juice mixed in with water and white wine works great.

Robin S.

I started off without a recipe for my version of fish chowder. Main difference: I add cooking sherry to the onions and bacon (yes, I'm reckless), no carrots in mine, and I add the potatoes once I've got a broth going. Otherwise, pretty much the same dish ... easy and oh-so-tasty. I splurge though and use pricey shell fish in addition to cod or halibut. It's perfect for a chilly morning, noon, or night :)

Dee

Made this using white miso for broth (my go-to for any broth/bouillon) , added some red pepper flakes, and dressed it at the end with cilantro and lime wedges. Used good quality frozen cod fillets. Fantastic. Will add the 'basic' chowder to our regular meals!

jen

I would leave out the carrots. that would introduce a flavor I don't want.

Tony Millionaire

Chicken broth. I add thyme and sage for true New England chowder.

ExDC

For the win! Onions, carrots, Fennel bulb sliced thin, canned corn, kale, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, thyme and dill...white wine, a dollop of yogurt since I didn't have milk. No potatoes bec of the carbs. Excellent cod was perfect! Next time, anchovies or coconut milk but not both...so good and easy.

Abe from Mamaroneck

Amazing recipe -family loved it!The tips to add clams in juice, bacon, cream, butter, and a little anchovy were helpful. Added extra hot paprika, pepper, cayenne and a little cayenne, too. Used spaetzel instead of potato.

datakat

I love a recipe that gives the basic idea and leaves me on my own to check the fridge, freezer and pantry.

Doug

Where is the recipe? All I'm seeing is a headline, a photo, and comments (??)

Russell

No fish stock? Try this. Add about 4 cups of water to a pot big enough that it's about one inch deep. Add a rack if you have one, (not critical). Steam a dozen, (or more), little neck clams until they open. Use the steaming liquid for fish stock, (clam broth). Add the steamed clams at the very end to the chowder just to warm them up.

Mary Jo Powell

You can leave out the milk/half and half and have something like Rhode Island clam chowder. To thicken you can mash some of the potatoes. I have also used potato starch to thicken chowder.

Anne M

There's no recipe!!!

Lane

Anne, it states right at the top... this is a no recipe recipe, something that Sam does every once in a while. Read the intro! If you really really need a list of ingredients, hit the "most helpful" button. The top response has a good ingredient list. It has over 760 "is this helpful" up votes. Enjoy your fish chowder!

BJ

I make a similar fish chowder, but omit the bacon and milk to make it vegetarian and more like Rhode Island chowder. If I have it, I use the liquid from jarred gefilte fish for the base or other fish liquid. If not, water and perhaps a little white wine. Delicious.

Nancy Rodgers

This was AMAZING! I added about four slices of fennel really thinly cut. Pinot Grigio. OMG it was so good! I used baby potatoes - the golden ones. Chunked up tilapia. Cup of frozen corn. Onion. Carrots. Paprika. The rest just like the paragraph (won't call it a recipe because there is no list!) and it tasted so light and wonderful. Put a few splashes of 2% milk. This was heavenly. The flavors all blended together in my magic Dutch Oven. It was filling, but light. Sam, you really gifted us all!

Anne

To any other noob out there, maybe salmon isn't the right choice on the first time out. My broth was delicious (peppers, onions, carrots, potatoes, 4 oz of chicken broth with the water -- my cooking wine had gone bad, so I skipped that -- and I added a little bit of sherry vinegar.) But once I added about half the fish suggested here, it was a lot, lol. If I were to do this again with salmon, which I won't, I would add probably 1/16 of what Sam suggests here, because it was, uh, flavorful.

SuFre

I used tilapia, shrimp stock and half & half. Delicious!

Kaye

Excellent. I love just throwing things into a pot. I used white wine and chicken broth with left over sushi fish (yellow tail and salmon) and with the pimenton--terrific.

Nancy

Great non-recipe that helped me deal with about 8oz of leftover cooked Hog Fish. At $30/# I didn’t want to throw away. I followed the suggestions closely, using chicken broth and bacon. I added about 2/3 cup leftover mashed potatoes (why not?) as a thickener. The fish was added at the last minute to only reheat. This is such a great idea to use delicious broiled or sautéed fish. Very tasty!

Potter

Even easier, buy "Imagine Potato Leek Soup" as a base and add the rest minus the potatoes or add a couple of steamed or microwaved potatoes chunks for texture. Add carrot slices and wine/stock as needed. Simmer till carrots are soft- 20 minutes. I use haddock, frozen is fine for this. Serve with olive oil garlic toast. Inspired by the bouride served at Cafe Des Artistes in NYC so many years ago.It was unforgettable. It had saffron in it as well. Drizzle with olive oil!!

Stacy

I always use Old Bay in my chowder... did someone else mention this already??

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Speedy Fish Chowder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What two ingredients must be present for the soup to be called a chowder? ›

Chowder is a soup with cream or milk mixed with ingredients such as potatoes, sweet corn, smoked haddock, clams and prawns, etc.

How do I thicken my fish chowder? ›

Add Flour Or Cornstarch

You can thicken soup by adding flour, cornstarch, or another starchy substitute. For the best results, never add flour or cornstarch directly to your soup. If you do, it will clump up on top. Instead, ladle a small amount of broth into a separate bowl and let it cool.

How do you make chowder less watery? ›

Add flour or cornflour

Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer. Cook for a few minutes to allow the starch granules to burst to thicken, and to cook out any flour flavour.

What to serve with fish chowder for dinner? ›

What to Serve With Fish Chowder. Pair this fish chowder with oyster crackers and a crusty homemade French bread for a comforting meal. A nice side salad will also work well.

What ingredient does chowder always have? ›

Customarily, chowder included onion, potatoes, and cream.

What is usually a main thickening agent of chowder? ›

A roux is the most common thickener for sauces and soups and comes in three colors and strengths: white, blond, and brown.

When to add heavy cream to chowder? ›

Slowly add the the butter/flour/poaching liquid mixture to the pot with the potatoes. Add the fish and scallops. Continue cooking and stirring until chowder thickens. Add the cream and stir until heated through, but do not boil.

How do you reduce the fishy taste in chowder? ›

Also, you can marinate the fish in a mixture of lemon juice, vinegar, and water for 30 minutes. This will help to neutralize the fishy taste. Cooking the fish using a cooking method that will not allow the fishy flavor to become pronounced, such as grilling, baking, or steaming can help as well.

What is a substitute for heavy cream in seafood chowder? ›

Evaporated milk works well as a substitute for heavy cream in sauces or soups calling for whole milk. In the making of evaporated milk, regular cow's milk is pressure-cooked until it sheds about half of its water content, making it thicker in consistency. For a healthy substitute, try evaporated skim milk.

Is it better to thicken chowder with flour or cornstarch? ›

The most classic and surefire way to thicken a broth-based soup is with a cornstarch slurry. Whisk together equal parts cornstarch (or arrowroot) and water or broth, then whisk it into the pot of soup. A good ratio to get to a pleasant thickness without your soup tasting goopy or heavy is one tablespoon.

Will heavy cream thicken chowder? ›

Heavy cream

Use heavy cream as a keto-friendly thickening option for your soups and broths. Heavy cream has more fat than regular whole milk, so you can add it to your soup recipes without worrying about it curdling.

How do you make chowder without curdling? ›

Stabilize with a Starch

Starches like flour or cornstarch help stabilize the milk emulsion. This will prevent it from separating. A common technique is to thicken your sauce or soup with roux before adding the milk. This changes the makeup of the liquid and prevents curdling.

How to thicken fish chowder? ›

FAQS About New England Fish Chowder

For a thicker texture, make a simple slurry by mixing together ¼ cup of flour with ¼ cup of water, add it to the soup and let it boil for 2-3 minutes before adding the fish.

What is the difference between fish stew and fish chowder? ›

The difference is simple: while the creamy base is similar in both, bisque is a smooth stew with pureed ingredients, while a chowder maintains the consistency of ingredients with a chunky texture.

What drink goes with seafood chowder? ›

Wine is a classic choice for accompanying seafood. If you have any doubt about a seafood and liquor pairing, go with dry white wine or Champagne.

What makes a soup a chowder? ›

The difference between chowder, soup, and stew is that chowder is a soup made with broth that is thickened with flour and cream, with seafood and/or vegetables mixed in. Soup is made with water or broth and can host a variety of ingredients like pasta, vegetables, fruits, grains, meats or seafood.

What are the 2 basic categories of soup? ›

Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid (broth) than stews. In traditional French cuisine, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups.

What are the two types of chowder? ›

New England clam chowder is thick, creamy, and milky-white. Manhattan clam chowder is tomatoey, brothy, and clear. Both types share a clean, briny, and slightly-sweet flavor thanks to the clams—but that's about it.

Why is it called chowder and not soup? ›

Eventually, the French word for the large pot or cauldron (chaudière) used to make the villagers' soup morphed into the English word chowder. This way of cooking fish migrated down to New England and farther south along the Atlantic coast and eventually across the country, with variations developing in each region.

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