Description
This rich and creamy Seafood Chowder combines a medley of fresh seafood with tender potatoes, carrots, and sweet corn in a flavorful broth made with bacon, garlic, white wine, and cream. Perfectly seasoned with fish sauce and herbs, it’s a comforting, hearty dish that pairs wonderfully with crusty garlic bread for dipping.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood
- 650g (1.3 lb) seafood marinara mix or mixed fresh seafood – fish, squid, prawns, cooked mussel meat
- Cooked seafood separated from raw seafood
- Cut large fish pieces into 2.5cm (1″) cubes
Base
- 50g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 100g (4 oz) streaky bacon, chopped into 1.5cm (1/2″) squares
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (optional)
- 1/3 cup plain/all-purpose flour (use gluten-free flour if needed)
Broth and Vegetables
- 1 litre (4 cups) low sodium chicken stock or homemade fish stock
- 2 medium carrots, peeled, cut into 7mm (1/3″) pieces (~1 1/2 cups)
- 2 large potatoes, peeled, cut into 1cm (0.4″) cubes (~2 1/2 cups)
Final Ingredients
- 1 cup thickened cream (heavy cream; milk can be used for lighter option)
- 1 cup corn (frozen or canned, drained)
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- Pinch of white pepper (can substitute black pepper)
- 3 tbsp chives or parsley, finely chopped for garnish
- Crusty bread or garlic bread, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare Seafood: Separate cooked seafood (usually mussels, sometimes prawns/shrimp) from raw seafood. Cut any large pieces of fish into 2.5cm (1″) cubes.
- Cook Bacon: In a heavy-based pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook for 3-4 minutes until edges turn light golden. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Sauté Garlic and Deglaze: Add minced garlic to the pot and cook for about 10 seconds without browning. Pour in white wine and simmer rapidly on high heat for 3 minutes while scraping the pot’s base to loosen browned bits until wine mostly evaporates.
- Make Roux: Reduce heat to medium and add flour, stirring continuously for 1 minute to form a roux.
- Add Stock: Gradually pour about 1 cup of stock into the roux while stirring to dissolve it, creating a thick paste. Then add the remaining stock while stirring until smooth and lump-free, using a whisk if needed.
- Simmer Vegetables and Bacon: Increase heat to high and bring to a boil. Add carrots, potatoes, and reserved bacon. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 10-12 minutes until carrots are nearly tender.
- Cook Raw Seafood: Add cream, fish sauce, white pepper, corn, and raw seafood to the pot. Simmer gently for 3 minutes until the fish is just cooked and flakes easily.
- Add Cooked Seafood and Adjust Seasoning: Stir in the cooked seafood, taste, and add salt if needed.
- Serve: Ladle chowder into bowls, sprinkle with finely chopped chives or parsley, and serve with warm crusty or garlic bread for dipping.
Notes
- Use homemade fish stock if possible to avoid the overpowering taste of store-bought stocks.
- If using gluten-free flour, the texture of the chowder will slightly differ but remain delicious.
- White wine can be omitted if preferred, but it adds depth to the flavor.
- Fish sauce provides umami, so adjust salt accordingly to avoid over-salting.
- For a lighter chowder, substitute heavy cream with whole milk and reduce butter slightly.
- Ensure not to overcook seafood to maintain tenderness.
