You watched the video first, yes? (If not, see above.)
All right, then let’s battle this out. (Just kidding.) The obvious truth is that there is no one right way to make fish or seafood chowder, but there are certainly good versions and ghastly ones. If you have a good one, let us know your secrets!
Meanwhile, I’ll tell you mine:
My recipe (my mother’s actually) starts with briefly cooking the fish in water, then removing it so that there’s a quick stock to cook the potatoes and onions in.
The onions are not fried in butter first but simply simmered with the potatoes. Butter is added at the final moment.
The fish is usually haddock in our house, although in the soup pictured below I used cod because that’s what I had. Any light white fish will do for fish chowder. Scallops and/or clams may be added if you’d like a seafood mix.
To my tastebuds, salmon is too earthy, indelicate, and overpowering a fish for chowder. Shrimp feels similarly out of place because of its heavy texture, which competes with the more delicate fish in this version. Plus it’s not local.
I cannot abide chowder heavily thickened with flour. It makes for a bland, gluey dish of no interest whatsoever. And flour isn’t necessary anyway, because the starch from the potatoes is thickener enough.
In the Maritimes, chowder is finished with evaporated milk, not heavy cream.
Fish chowder tastes best a day or two after making. Keep refrigerated and reheat to serve.
Fish Chowder from Home
This is the version you get in my house, served with bread rolls, oatmeal brown bread, or saltines. The recipe is in Kitchen Bliss, if you have the book, as is an excellent recipe for bread rolls (p. 269 and p. 276, respectively). Fish chowder is served as a meal in the Maritimes, but sometimes in restaurants you can get a little cup of it if you want something else afterwards. (Downloadable recipe below.)
Makes:Â 4 to 6 servings
1 pound/450 g frozen or fresh haddock
2 cups/500 ml water, more as needed
1 large onion, minced
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes, about 1-1/2 pounds/675 g, peeled and diced or sliced
Salt and pepper
1 354-ml tin evaporated milk
Pinch paprika, to taste
A large handful of finely chopped parsley
2 tablespoons butter
Lay the fish (frozen or fresh) in a large pot and pour the water over. Cover and place over medium-high heat just until the fish flakes, which will be a matter of minutes (don’t overcook it). Remove the fish with a slotted spoon to a dish and set aside. Add the onion and potatoes to the fishy water, and, if necessary, top up with water so the potatoes are just covered. Bring to a simmer and gently cook until the vegetables are tender, about 15 minutes.
Break up the cooked fish with a fork and stir it into the soup, along with the evaporated milk. (If the soup is too thick for your liking, add a splash of whole milk.) Season with salt, pepper, and paprika, then stir through the parsley and the butter. Set off the heat. You can eat it right away, but it will be even better if you cool it and refrigerate for a day or two before reheating to serve.
Show and Tell, and the Piping Hot Chowder Debate...