Creamy Fish Chowder Recipe
You will love this Fish Chowder Recipe that is loaded with Yukon potatoes, crispy bacon, fresh fish, and herbs in a delicious creamy broth.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fish, cod, halibut, bass, etc.
- 8 strips of bacon, cut into thin slices
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 2 thinly sliced leeks
- 6 thickly sliced ribs of celery
- 2 finely minced cloves of garlic
- ½ cup creamy sherry
- 6 cups fish stock, clam juice, or water
- 2 teaspoons dry thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 large Yukon potatoes, cut into 1” cubes or quarter moons
- 2 cups half and half
- Worcestershire to taste
- Hot sauce to taste
- sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Remove the skin from your fish, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Start by browning some diced bacon in a large rondeau pot over medium heat, which takes about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Remove the bacon and set it aside.
- Turn the heat to high until it begins to lightly smoke and add in the fish, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter, and sear it for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until it starts to turn brown. If the fish falls apart, it’s no problem. I sear it to add more flavor to the fish and soup.
- Remove the fish and set it to the side.
- Add the onions and leeks to the pot and cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until browned while occasionally stirring.
- Pour in the celery and cook for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic just until fragrant, which takes 30 to 45 seconds.
- Deglaze with the cream sherry and cook to au sec or almost gone and absorbed.
- Add in the stock, thyme, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and potatoes, and bring to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat to low-medium, and place back in the pre-seared fish.
- Place on a lid and cook for about 5 minutes until the fish is cooked through.
- In the meantime, heat the half and half in a small pot until scalded.
- Add back in the crispy bacon, and pour the half and half into the chowder with Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Gently stir the soup to incorporate the flavors and to break apart the fish into large bite-size pieces.
- Serve with optional garnishes of chopped fresh parsley, thyme leaves, and oyster crackers.
Notes
Make-Ahead: This soup is meant to be eaten immediately, but you can make it up to 1 day ahead.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day, or until thawed, before reheating and serving.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of fish chowder to a small pot and cook over low heat while whisking until warm. You can also heat it in a microwave until warm.
White wine options are chardonnay, pinot grigio, or sauvignon Blanc.
This makes a substantial amount of soup, so cut the ingredients in half if necessary.
If you are nervous about pan-searing the fish, place it in seasoned and raw in step 12 and cook for a total of 15 minutes instead of 5.
Nutrition
Calories: 437kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 34gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 100mgSodium: 859mgPotassium: 1137mgFiber: 3gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 850IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 176mgIron: 3mg