Description
This rich and comforting Seafood Chowder combines a medley of fresh seafood with creamy broth, tender vegetables, and crispy bacon for a hearty meal. Perfect for seafood lovers, it uses a roux-based method to create a smooth, velvety texture enhanced by wine and fragrant seasonings, served with crusty bread for a satisfying experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Seafood
- 650g/1.3lb seafood marinara mix or mixed fresh seafood – fish, squid, prawns, cooked mussel meat
- Cut any large pieces of fish into 2.5cm/1″ cubes
Base & Vegetables
- 50g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 100g/4oz 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 (for gluten-free use gluten-free flour)
- 1 litre (4 cups) low sodium chicken stock/broth 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/0.2″ cubes (~2 1/2 cups)
Finishing & Garnish
- 1 cup thickened cream / heavy cream (milk can be substituted for lighter option)
- 1 cup corn (frozen or canned, drained)
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- Pinch white pepper (black pepper can be used as substitute)
- 3 tbsp chives or parsley, finely chopped (for garnish)
- Crusty bread or garlic bread (for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare Seafood: Separate cooked seafood (mussels, cooked prawns/shrimp) from raw seafood. Cut any large fish pieces into 2.5cm (1 inch) cubes to ensure even cooking.
- Cook Bacon: In a heavy-based pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add the streaky bacon and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until edges are light golden. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.
- Sauté Garlic & Deglaze: Add minced garlic to the bacon fat and cook for about 10 seconds without browning. Pour in the white wine and simmer rapidly over high heat for 3 minutes, scraping the pot to loosen browned bits. The wine should mostly evaporate.
- Make Roux: Reduce heat to medium and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute while stirring to form a roux, which acts as a thickening base for the chowder.
- Add Stock: Gradually pour in about 1 cup of the stock while stirring continuously to dissolve the roux, forming a thick paste. Add the remainder of the stock and whisk well to ensure a lump-free mixture.
- Simmer Vegetables: Turn heat up to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Add carrots, potatoes, and cooked bacon. Reduce heat to medium and simmer gently for 10 to 12 minutes, until carrots are just tender.
- Add Cream & Seafood: Stir in the cream, fish sauce, white pepper, corn, and raw seafood. Simmer for 3 minutes, just until the raw seafood is cooked through and flakes easily.
- Incorporate Cooked Seafood: Gently fold in the cooked seafood pieces. Taste the chowder and adjust salt if necessary (often not required due to bacon and fish sauce).
- Serve: Ladle the chowder into bowls and garnish with chopped chives or parsley. Serve immediately with warm crusty or garlic bread for dipping.
Notes
- Note 1: Using pre-cooked seafood like mussels and prawns separately from raw seafood ensures optimal texture and prevents overcooking.
- Note 2: Avoid store-bought fish stock to prevent overpowering or artificial flavors; homemade or low sodium chicken stock works best.
- Note 3: For gluten-free chowder, substitute plain/all-purpose flour with a gluten-free alternative such as rice flour or a gluten-free blend.
- You can substitute white wine with extra stock or water for a non-alcoholic version.
- Using thickened cream enriches the chowder but substitute milk for a lighter chowder.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
