Easy Fish Chowder Recipe loaded up with chunky vegetables, Yukon potatoes, crispy bacon and herbs in a delicious creamy broth.
If I’ve said it before I’ve said it a thousand times, I love soup, and this fish chowder recipe is so amazing. I’m a huge fan of chowders, and the amazing fresh Alaska halibut that is packed into this fish chowder recipe just makes it so much better. It’s still a bit cold up here in Chicago as spring always hides its face until May, so this hit’s the spot and keeps me warm for a few more weeks.
What Fish to Use
We used to make a fish chowder at one of the restaurants I worked at way back in the day. It was sort of a mish-mosh of leftover fish or really whatever we had lying around. It was really tasty, but I always felt it could have been much better if we used more quality fish.
Since it’s been so long since I made a recipe like that, it made perfect sense for me to use some fresh wild-caught Alaska halibut. Alaska halibut is probably my favorite fish. It is a slightly sweet but mild flavor, it’s steaky yet flaky, honestly, it is the best all-around fish.
The fresh Alaska halibut in this soup just enhances the overall quality. You get these huge delicious chunks of fish that make it so rich and tasty.
What is Chowder
Several countries claim that Chowder is indigenous to them. While I don’t know the answer to the exact foundation of it, I do know that it’s delicious and if I had to pinpoint the origin, I’d say it’s most likely French.
There are several different variations of it, but most of them consist of a creamy broth that is packed with vegetables and often time some form of protein. Obviously, you are probably familiar with clam and this fish chowder recipe is pretty similar.
Like most foods in the old world, this is a peasant dish made around what was available.
How to Make It
Almost all chowders begin with rendering off some bacon fat. Once your bacon is crispy, reserve it to the side and then sauté your vegetables in the rendered bacon fat. From there I add the Alaska halibut to the top of the veggies, pop a lid on and sort of steam it until it gently falls apart, which really only takes about 5 minutes or so.
I then add in some flour to make a roux and then add the additional ingredients and let it simmer until all of the flavors in the soup come out. When your recipe is done, serve it up with some herbs, oyster crackers if you have some, and a bit of leftover crispy bacon for one delicious soup!
More Soup Recipes
If you are digging this, then check out these other soup recipes.
- Butternut Squash Bisque Soup
- Authentic Italian Minestrone Recipe
- Chicken Detox Soup
- Mulligatawny Soup
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Fish Chowder Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 strips of chopped bacon
- 1 peeled and small diced yellow onion
- 4 medium diced stalks of celery
- 3 finely minced cloves of garlic
- 1/3 cup of creamy sherry
- 2 pounds of Alaska halibut fillets
- ¼ cup of flour
- 5 large diced Yukon potatoes
- 16- ounce jar of clam juice
- 1 cup of water
- 4 cups of whole milk
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon each chopped fresh parsley basil, and thyme.
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the bacon to a large pot over medium heat and cook the bacon until crisp.
- Remove the bacon lardons and add in the onions, celery, and garlic and sauté for 6 to 8 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Deglaze with the sherry and cook until the liquid is almost gone about 5 minutes.
- Add the fish to the top of the veggies and place a top to the pot and cook for 5 to 6 minutes or until the fish is cooked.
- Add in the flour and mix until combined. The fish should break up with ease.
- Add in the potatoes, clam juice, water, milk, and heavy cream and cook over low heat until it becomes thick and the potatoes are cooked about 20 to 22 minutes.
- Finish with fresh herbs salt and pepper.
Gretchen says
So good Billy! Thank you. 🙂