Eventide Fish Chowder
Published May 27, 2020
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1pound boneless, skinless cod fillet, about 1-inch thick
- Kosher salt
- 1pound sea scallops (or use more cod, some hake or another firm fish)
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1medium white or yellow onion, diced into ¼-inch cubes
- 1pound all-purpose potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
- ¼pound bacon, sliced crosswise into ½-inch strips (optional)
- 2quarts fish stock or dashi (Japanese fish broth, such as Hondashi bonito soup stock)
- 1 to 2fresh thyme sprigs, or ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1cup heavy cream
- Toasted nori sheets or seaweed snacks, crumbled into very small pieces, or dried seaweed flakes (optional)
- Snipped chives or minced scallion greens, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
476 calories; 29 grams fat; 15 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 9 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 19 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 35 grams protein; 1456 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a small pan over low heat, toast the peppercorns until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Coarsely grind and set aside.
- Step 2
Trim cod of any pin bones or bits of skin and cut into 1-inch cubes. Lightly salt the cubes all over and set aside on paper towels to drain. Rinse scallops very lightly under cold water. Cut into half-moons and set aside on paper towels to drain. Keep seafood refrigerated until ready to use.
- Step 3
In a large pot, melt butter over medium-high heat. When the butter is just sizzling, add onion and potatoes and cook, stirring, until the onions start to melt and the potatoes are gold at the edges, about 5 minutes.
- Step 4
Meanwhile, if using bacon, cook the strips in a hot skillet over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside on paper towels to drain.
- Step 5
Add stock, thyme and toasted peppercorns to pot and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. The potatoes should not be cooked through.
- Step 6
Stir in cream and heat through over low heat. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper.
- Step 7
Just before serving, with the chowder simmering over low heat, stir in seafood and simmer until potatoes are soft and seafood is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the bacon.
- Step 8
Ladle the chowder into bowls. You want each serving to be around 2 parts broth to 1 part chunky goodness. Use your fingers to crush the nori into powdery bits, if using, and sprinkle over the top of each serving. Place about 1 teaspoon chives in the center of each bowl and serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
Propah chowdah uses potatoes cut "thick/thin" into wedges, so the thin parts dissolve and the thick parts retain texture.
The best fish chowders are made with haddock, not cod. You can also make a wonderful fish soup using the ingredients above, adding chopped carrots and celery (and other fav veggies) simmered prior to adding haddock, and omitting the cream.
I agree, use haddock. And do your heart a favor by using a piece of salt pork instead of butter and bacon. Try out the pork and use the fat to saute the onions. Use Whole milk plus a can of evaporated milk. That is traditional, although in the Maritimes they start with bacon instead of salt pork. Better the second day as the potatoes yield their starch and the salt pork flavors the milk. Serve with fresh ground black pepper and snipped parsley. This is the Maine way, no thickening flour.
This is by far the best-tasting favorite fish chowder and my favorite fish chowder recipe. There are two things I love about it - the toasted and ground peppercorns (don't skip this part) and the use of dashi instead of fish stock. I can never get fish stock/fish trimmings/fish bones when need it. That dahsi is easy and makes it tastes like the sea.
Combined 2 cans of Bar Harbor fish stock w/2 bottles of BH clam juice. Added 3 1/2 tspn Hondashi powder to the broth, heated gently. Rendered bacon in the pot, removed, added a knob of butter to the bacon fat, added/sweated onion, 4 minced cloves of garlic, 2 sliced celery ribs and 1 1/4 pound of cubed mini yellow and red potatoes, s&p. In w/the stock to cook potatoes; then milk/cream, frozen corn, 3 lb of cod cheeks (available locally; an amazingly sweet, tender bite) to braise. Mighty good!
Superb, especially if you take the trouble to use the Japanese ingredients. (Dashi combines very well with bacon, thank you.) This could be adapted for any kind of mild fish or shellfish. On the other hand, some are losing patience with those zealots who constantly criticize a recipe for not being something else. "Propah" indeed.
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