Many New England restaurants will serve you a heavy, stew-like chowder laden with cream and thickeners. We prefer this light fish chowder. A milky broth allows the sweet flavors of the fish and potatoes to come through. Creamy but not too rich, it makes a cozy meal that soothes the soul, bowl after bowl. Only warm squares of Cakey and Sweet Cornbread can make it any more perfect.
Happily, it’s a snap to make. You start by quickly poaching fish in water with some aromatic veggies. Then you set the fish aside for later so it won’t overcook. The cooking water becomes your fish stock. And the chowder stays light because the only starch comes from the diced potatoes.
You don’t need fresh fish—frozen will do just fine. Go ahead and mess around with quantities and improvise. Short on fish? Make it up with more potatoes. Or even corn. But we like to keep it simple. Fish and potatoes, culinary mates, should rule.
So, without much cream, does this still qualify as New England-style chowder? We adapted a 20-year-old recipe from The Boston Globe. And there’s not a tomato in sight. So yes, it’s New England through-and-through.
Light Fish Chowder
Adapted from The Boston Globe
- 1-2 pounds boneless, firm-fleshed white fish, such as cod or haddock
- 2 cups water
- 1 carrot, cut in quarters
- 1 stalk celery, cut in quarters
- Handful of parsley stems
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ inch cubes (Idaho or russet work too, but tend to fall apart more easily.)
- 2 ½ cups milk
- ½ cup light cream
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
- Cut fish into approximately 2-inch pieces and place in a pot or deep skillet. Add water, carrot, celery and parsley stems. Gently bring to a boil, lower heat, and cover with a lid. Simmer for about 2 minutes or until fish turns opaque.
- With a slotted spoon, gently transfer the fish to a plate. Pour the poaching water through a fine-meshed strainer into a bowl and reserve for later. (You can snack on the cooked carrot and celery, since you no longer need them for the recipe.)
- In a soup pot, heat the butter and add onion and potatoes. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes or until the onion turns translucent, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
- Pour in the reserved poaching water, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 2 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Meanwhile, using your fingers, gently pull apart the cooked fish into about 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
- Add milk and cream to the soup, bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Add the fish, salt and pepper. Shake the pot gently to distribute the fish without breaking it. Taste for seasoning and adjust. Cover with the lid and turn off the heat.
- Just before serving, gently bring the fish chowder to a boil and turn off heat. Ladle into bowls immediately and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve squares of warm Cakey and Sweet Cornbread on the side.
