Fish Chowder

I was going through all the draft posts I never published and came across this one for Fish Chowder from a few years ago. You can tell because the soup pot is sitting on the table I used to use for my blog photos when we still lived in our townhouse. We moved to our new house in April 2017, so my best guess is this is from sometime in 2016. Better late than never, right?



I remember I wanted to find a recipe for fish chowder because I was reading a book where they talked about fish chowder. This was absolutely delicious and I'm scratching my head as to why I never remade it. Maybe because I'm not the world's biggest soup fan? Who knows. With the arrival of fall and cooler weather likely here to stay, this is a great, hearty meal with a salad and some crusty bread.

Fish Chowder
Simply Recipes

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon butter
2 medium yellow onions, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds), peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
2 cups clam juice
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay (optional, can use a little paprika and a dash of cayenne)
1 1/2 to 2 lbs cod*, or other firm white fish, pin bones removed, fillets cut into 2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat oil and butter in the bottom of a large pot (6-qt) on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and turn up the heat. Cook, uncovered, until the wine reduces by half.

Add the potatoes, clam juice, bay leaf, thyme, salt, pepper, and Old Bay. The potatoes should be just barely covered with the liquid in the pot. If not, add water so that they are. Bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and cook, covered, until the potatoes are almost done, about 10-15 minutes. In a separate pot, heat the cream until steamy (not boiling).

Add the fish to the pot of potatoes and add the heated cream. Return to the stove. Cook on low heat, uncovered, until the fish is just cooked through, about 10 minutes. Keep your eye on the heat to avoid curdling.

When the fish is just cooked through, remove from heat. Mix in the parsley. The flavors will improve if the soup rests 30 minutes before serving. Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers.