Creamy Fish Chowder
Creamy Fish Chowder recipe
EatingWell: January/February 1993
Amazingly, this was pretty good. I was really trying to find cod at BJ’s but just couldn’t so I settled for tilapia. Sometimes it’s okay, sometimes not. This time it’s not. Sometimes the tilapia has a flavor I just don’t like. I can’t quite put my finger on it. It’s like a musty taste. I don’t know.
Being as I used center cut bacon, I put a couple of slices in the pan. It didn’t create a lot of grease, so I just left it all in the pan. The clam juice didn’t really seem like a lot, so I added the whole bottle and about 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. That looked more like a stew. Before it looked like I was just braising the vegetables in the broth. I wanted to potatoes to be just a little al dente before I added the fish. I didn’t want to the fish to be too done. That worked out perfectly.
It would have tasted better with the cod. It would have tasted just a little better with some leeks and just a hint more bacon. I added some rosemary to the soup when it was cooking. There’s a restaurant near us that adds rosemary to their clam chowder and I think it tastes really good, so I thought I’d throw some in this recipe. It was just another layer of flavor that brought it all together. Being as I added more liquid than the recipe called for, I had to double the cornstarch and water slurry to thicken the recipe. I didn’t mash some of the vegetables to thicken it even more. If I did that, I would cook the potatoes in stages so they weren’t all mushy.
It was a pretty easy recipe to make. It was also pretty quit to put together. I will probably make it again, but with some halibut or cod. Tilapia is hit or miss with me. I’m too finicky with fish, I know.
Measuring cups and spoons
Knife
Cutting board
Large stockpot
Creamy Fish Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 slice bacon, diced
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 stalk celery, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 cup bottled clam juice, or reduced-sodium chicken broth (see Tips for Two)
- 8 ounces tilapia or cod fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 small russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
Instructions
- Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring often, until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Add onion, celery and garlic to the bacon drippings and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add clam juice (or chicken broth), fish, potatoes, thyme and bay leaf and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. With a slotted spoon, transfer about 2/3 cup of the solids to a bowl and mash with a potato masher or fork. Return to the pot and add the milk. Bring to a simmer.
- Whisk water and cornstarch in a small bowl. When the soup comes to a simmer, gradually add the cornstarch mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 1 minute. Season with pepper. Serve garnished with the cooked bacon and parsley, if using.
Notes
Tips for Two: Leftover canned broth keeps up to 5 days in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in your freezer. Leftover broth in aseptic packages keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator. Add to soups, sauces, stews; use for cooking rice and grains; add a little when reheating leftovers to prevent them from drying out.
From: EatingWell Magazine January/February 1993
Nutrition Information
Yield
2Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 430Total Fat 6gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 4gCholesterol 123mgSodium 803mgCarbohydrates 35gFiber 4gSugar 4gProtein 59g
