Already this winter, I have prepared four rather large batches of sweet and creamy nutritious fish and prawn chowder. At this time highest quality halibut and prawns still wildly available make an ideal ingredient for the following variations of savory fish chowder.
Original Fish Chowder favorite
Prep: 30 min Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs assorted premium wild seafood, boneless 1/2 inch cut
1 pint of heavy cream
1/2 c. of olive oil or unsalted butter
2 bay leaves
2 medium onions, small diced
4 large celery stalks, small diced with some leaves diced
6 medium boiling potatoes, red or gold will work
6-8 cups of water or fish stock
white pepper and sea salt to taste
2/3 c. of unbleached flour or minced pilot crackers
Mix:
1.Wash and dice the onion and celery. Add oil or butter to large 6 quart soup pot, set heat to medium and add diced celery and onion. Saute onion and celery until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. 2. Add 4 cups water or stock and bay leaves to pot. Increase the heat to high and reduce to low once the mixture begins to boil, careful not to over boil vegetables throughout cooking. Add 1 Tbs. of sea salt to flavor the mixture if using salt. 3. While pot increases to the boil point, peel potatoes. Slice peeled potatoes into 1/4 inch thick one quarter rounds. This size is wonderful for soups as it allows to potato to absorb the other flavors without becoming too soft to the bite. Add potato to heated stock and increase heat once more just to the simmer point. 4. Add chopped halibut and prawns once soup begins to simmer after the potato has been added. Reduce heat to low and cover. 5. In separate bowl combine flour or crackers with the pint of heavy cream and a pint of cool water or stock. If using flour, whisk this mixture to eliminate lumps. While whisking, add mixture to soup pot and stir frequently until soup thickens slightly. Add white pepper and any desired additional sea salt at this time. 6. Remove cover and continue to cook soup for 30 minutes before serving. If soup becomes too thick add water 1 cup at a time to desired consistency. It is important to allow soup to cool before storing under refrigeration.
Variation One: Fish Chowder
Ingredients and Mix-
Reduce celery to 2 stalks and 1 carrot, small diced
Substitute 3 large leeks for onions, small chopped
Substitute 1 large bunch collard greens for potato, thick spines removed and leaves rough cut to 1 inch or so.
Cook vegetables in soup until tender before adding halibut and prawns.
Reduce fish and prawns to 1 1/2 pounds for recipe variation with collards and leeks.
Use flour rather than crackers to thicken this soup as it will lend to a silkier consistency that will contrast the leafy collard bits well rather then compete for a similar texture.
Variation Two: Fish Chowder with corn and chillies
Using original chowder recipe, make the following adjustments.
Add 2-3 dried red chili peppers to onion and celery saute.
Add 1 cup of corn kernels to soup while adding the potatoes.
Original Fish Chowder favorite
Prep: 30 min Cook: 1 hr 45 min
Serves 6
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs assorted premium wild seafood, boneless 1/2 inch cut
1 pint of heavy cream
1/2 c. of olive oil or unsalted butter
2 bay leaves
2 medium onions, small diced
4 large celery stalks, small diced with some leaves diced
6 medium boiling potatoes, red or gold will work
6-8 cups of water or fish stock
white pepper and sea salt to taste
2/3 c. of unbleached flour or minced pilot crackers
Mix:
1.Wash and dice the onion and celery. Add oil or butter to large 6 quart soup pot, set heat to medium and add diced celery and onion. Saute onion and celery until translucent, about 5-7 minutes. 2. Add 4 cups water or stock and bay leaves to pot. Increase the heat to high and reduce to low once the mixture begins to boil, careful not to over boil vegetables throughout cooking. Add 1 Tbs. of sea salt to flavor the mixture if using salt. 3. While pot increases to the boil point, peel potatoes. Slice peeled potatoes into 1/4 inch thick one quarter rounds. This size is wonderful for soups as it allows to potato to absorb the other flavors without becoming too soft to the bite. Add potato to heated stock and increase heat once more just to the simmer point. 4. Add chopped halibut and prawns once soup begins to simmer after the potato has been added. Reduce heat to low and cover. 5. In separate bowl combine flour or crackers with the pint of heavy cream and a pint of cool water or stock. If using flour, whisk this mixture to eliminate lumps. While whisking, add mixture to soup pot and stir frequently until soup thickens slightly. Add white pepper and any desired additional sea salt at this time. 6. Remove cover and continue to cook soup for 30 minutes before serving. If soup becomes too thick add water 1 cup at a time to desired consistency. It is important to allow soup to cool before storing under refrigeration.
Variation One: Fish Chowder
Ingredients and Mix-
Reduce celery to 2 stalks and 1 carrot, small diced
Substitute 3 large leeks for onions, small chopped
Substitute 1 large bunch collard greens for potato, thick spines removed and leaves rough cut to 1 inch or so.
Cook vegetables in soup until tender before adding halibut and prawns.
Reduce fish and prawns to 1 1/2 pounds for recipe variation with collards and leeks.
Use flour rather than crackers to thicken this soup as it will lend to a silkier consistency that will contrast the leafy collard bits well rather then compete for a similar texture.
Variation Two: Fish Chowder with corn and chillies
Using original chowder recipe, make the following adjustments.
Add 2-3 dried red chili peppers to onion and celery saute.
Add 1 cup of corn kernels to soup while adding the potatoes.
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