Cod Chowder
Chunks of cod, potatoes, sweetcorn and bacon simmered in a milk and cream broth until thick and creamy.
Photograph credit: Cod Chowder by RightCowLeftCoast · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons · this resized copy is shared under the same licence
Making Cod Chowder Ahead
Keeps in the fridge for 2 days. Reheat gently and do not boil.
Cod Chowder: The Method
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Fry the bacon in a large pot for 6 minutes until crisp. Lift out and keep.
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Soften the onion and celery in the bacon fat for 6 minutes, then stir in the flour for 1 minute.
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Add the stock gradually, then the potatoes, and simmer for 12 minutes until tender. Mash a few against the side.
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Add the milk, cream, sweetcorn and cod and heat gently for 5 minutes without boiling.
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Season, scatter with the bacon and parsley and serve.
Tips for Success
- Let the potatoes thicken the broth.
- Add the cod last.
- Keep the heat low once the dairy goes in.
- Season at the end.
Why the Method Is What It Is
Most home versions come out thin, and the fix is to let the potatoes do the thickening. Some of them break down into the broth as they cook, and that starch is what gives a chowder its body.
Fry the bacon until crisp, remove it and soften the onion and celery in the fat. Stir in the flour, then add the stock a little at a time. Add the potatoes and simmer for 12 minutes, until they are soft and some are falling apart. Mash a few against the side of the pot. Add the cod last. It needs only 5 minutes and falls apart if it is stirred too much.
Pour in the milk and cream, add the sweetcorn and the fish, and keep the heat low. A boil can split the dairy and break up the cod.
Season with salt and pepper, scatter with the bacon and parsley, and serve with crackers or bread.
Serving Ideas
Crusty bread · Oyster crackers · Green salad · Lemon wedges
Common Substitutions & Variations
- In a sauce, full-fat crème fraîche can usually take the place of the double cream; single cream is thinner and more likely to split if it boils, so keep it below a simmer.
Cod Chowder Nutrition
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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