Fish Chowder
A creamy soup of white fish, potatoes, onion and sweetcorn in milk. Four servings in 40 minutes.
Photograph credit: Fishchowder (image of fish chowder on Wikidata Q5454607) by Nate Steiner · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Before You Start
Keep the heat gentle once the milk is in.
Taste before adding salt; bacon and stock are both salty.
Crush a few potato cubes to thicken the soup naturally.
Making Fish Chowder
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Fry the bacon in a large pot over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the onion and celery and cook for 6 minutes.
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Add the potatoes and stock, bring to a boil, then simmer for 12 minutes until tender. Crush a few potatoes against the pot.
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Add the sweetcorn, fish and milk. Heat gently, below a boil, for 6 minutes until the fish flakes.
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Season with the pepper, taste for salt and finish with the parsley.
Why the Method Works
Chowder is a soup you can eat with a fork. The potatoes, fish and sweetcorn are chunky, and the milk base is only thick enough to hold them.
The flavour begins with bacon fat, if you have it, or butter if not. Onion cooked slowly in either gives the chowder a sweet, savoury base.
The potato is cut into 1.5 cm cubes and simmered in the stock until tender. A few are crushed against the pot to thicken the broth without any flour.
Add the milk and fish at the end and keep below a boil. Milk curdles in a hard boil and the fish breaks up. The soup is ready when the fish flakes at a nudge from a spoon. The bacon is optional, and the chowder is just as good with a knob of butter instead. A few crackers crumbled over each bowl is the traditional way to serve it, and gives a pleasing crunch against the soft potato.
Storage and Reheating
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently and do not boil. Do not freeze; the milk and potatoes turn grainy.
What to Serve Alongside
- Crusty bread
- Crackers
- Green salad
Questions and Answers
How long does Fish Chowder take to make?
About 40 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 25 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 4.
What are the key tips for making Fish Chowder?
Keep the heat gentle once the milk is in. Taste before adding salt; bacon and stock are both salty. Crush a few potato cubes to thicken the soup naturally.
What should I serve with Fish Chowder?
Crusty bread; Crackers; Green salad.
Can Fish Chowder be made ahead or frozen?
Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently and do not boil. Do not freeze; the milk and potatoes turn grainy.
Is Fish Chowder suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is high-protein and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Fish Chowder?
About 397 kcal per serving, with 36 g protein, 43 g carbohydrate and 9 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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