Seafood Chowder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What two ingredients must be present for the soup to be called a chowder? ›

Chowder is a soup with cream or milk mixed with ingredients such as potatoes, sweet corn, smoked haddock, clams and prawns, etc.

Cornstarch. Cornstarch is a very effective thickener, and a little bit can go a long way. Add cornstarch to a small amount of cold water or other liquid (wine or stock) and whisk into a thick slurry. Then the slurry can be stirred into a simmering soup, a bit at a time to set the final consistency.

Chowder is a hearty meal made with milk or cream and usually with a Salt pork,bacon,or other base for flavor along with potatoes. Corn is a popular ingredient to add too. You can add almost any protein you can think of but most tend to be made with Seafood.

Cut the shrimp, scallops, and monkfish into bite-sized pieces and place them in a bowl with the crabmeat. In a heavy-bottomed pot, melt the butter; add the carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, and corn and saute over medium-low heat for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are barely cooked, stirring occasionally.

Customarily, chowder included onion, potatoes, and cream.

For clear, brothy soups, stock is your most important ingredient. If you want to make a good soup, you need to use an excellently flavored stock — otherwise, the entire pot could be tasteless.

Slowly add the the butter/flour/poaching liquid mixture to the pot with the potatoes. Add the fish and scallops. Continue cooking and stirring until chowder thickens. Add the cream and stir until heated through, but do not boil.

Stabilize with a Starch

Starches like flour or cornstarch help stabilize the milk emulsion. This will prevent it from separating. A common technique is to thicken your sauce or soup with roux before adding the milk. This changes the makeup of the liquid and prevents curdling.

I add a sweet element like fresh corn, roasted red pepper, or cooked sweet potatoes. I believe 1⁄4 cup of heavy cream is way, way better than an entire cup of milk. The cream goes in at the tail end of the cooking process, just enough so I know it's there. I like chopped chives on top for a fresh touch.

What makes it a bisque? ›

A bisque is a smooth, creamy French style of soup, traditionally made from crustaceans like lobster, crab or crayfish. It should include a stock made from the shells, a large amount of cream, and a thickening agent made from either finely-ground shells or rice.

Here are some tips for using fish in soups:

You can either pan-fry or blanch your fish with ginger to minimize the fishy taste. I prefer pan-frying because it really creates that fragrant smell and enhances the flavors of the soup! Use a fish bag! This is important especially if you're using small fish.

Clam chowder nutrition

And Walsh agrees, “Clam chowder is one of the worst soups a person can eat. It's high in fat, calories and sodium.” There is 180 calories in a cup of clam chowder. The macronutrient breakdown in a cup of clam chowder is 20 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fat and 6 grams of protein.

Make ahead: This recipe can be made 2 days in advance and kept in the fridge, then reheated when ready to serve. Fish stock: If you happen to have fish stock, it can be used in place of the chicken stock and clam juice, which I have found is an easy alternative that I have much better access to all the time.

The difference between chowder, soup, and stew is that chowder is a soup made with broth that is thickened with flour and cream, with seafood and/or vegetables mixed in. Soup is made with water or broth and can host a variety of ingredients like pasta, vegetables, fruits, grains, meats or seafood.

Add flour or cornflour

You can also use flour or cornflour to thicken a soup. Put a tablespoon of either into a small bowl and stir in 2-3 tbsp of the soup until you have a smooth mixture. Stir this back into the soup and bring it to a simmer.

Soups are similar to stews, and in some cases there may not be a clear distinction between the two; however, soups generally have more liquid (broth) than stews. In traditional French cuisine, soups are classified into two main groups: clear soups and thick soups.

New England clam chowder is thick, creamy, and milky-white. Manhattan clam chowder is tomatoey, brothy, and clear. Both types share a clean, briny, and slightly-sweet flavor thanks to the clams—but that's about it.