Creamy New England Fish Chowder
With White Fish, Potatoes, Bacon, and Chives
Serves 6 · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: 45 minutes · Total: 1 hour 5 minutes
My favorite memory from college is waking up very late on Sunday mornings and lining up for a satisfying bowl of New England clam chowder. Unfortunately, I don’t always have clams on hand, so I’ve settled for making fish chowder. But I promise you it’s just as good!
Haddock is ideal, but cod is what I usually find. Keep the pieces fairly big and stir as little as possible once they go into the pot. The fish only needs a few minutes to cook, and big chunks are half the reason to make fish chowder in the first place.
Ingredients
For the chowder
- 4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, if needed
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 cups bottled clam juice, fish stock, or seafood stock
- 1 cup water
- 1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¾-inch pieces
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
- Black pepper
- 1½ pounds skinless cod or haddock, cut into 1½-inch pieces
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
For serving
- Oyster crackers or warm crusty bread
Instructions
- 1
Cook the bacon
Put the bacon in a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
- 2
Soften the vegetables
Add the butter if the pot looks dry. Add the onion and celery with a pinch of salt. Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 9 minutes, until soft but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- 3
Add the flour
Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 1 minute. The pot will look pasty and wrong for a little while. Keep stirring. The flour needs a short cook so the chowder does not taste raw.
- 4
Cook the potatoes
Slowly pour in the clam juice and water while stirring. Add the potatoes, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and several grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover partially, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender.
- 5
Add the milk and cream
Lower the heat and stir in the milk, cream, Worcestershire sauce, and half of the cooked bacon. Warm the chowder until it is steaming, but do not let it boil.
- 6
Poach the fish
Add the fish and press the pieces gently beneath the surface. Cook at a bare simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes when nudged with a spoon. Stir as little as possible. You want chunks of fish, not evidence that fish was once in the pot.
- 7
Finish the chowder
Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the chives and lemon juice, then taste for salt and pepper. Let the chowder stand off the heat for 5 minutes before serving. Ladle it into bowls and finish with the remaining bacon.
Shortcuts and substitutions
Frozen fish
Individually frozen cod or haddock portions are completely fine. Thaw them in the refrigerator, pat them dry, and cut them into large pieces.
No clam juice
Use fish stock, seafood stock, or low-sodium chicken broth. Clam juice gives the chowder a deeper coastal flavor, but this is not a reason to visit three grocery stores.
Half-and-half
Replace the milk and cream with 3 cups of half-and-half. Keep the heat low once it goes into the pot.
No bacon
Start the vegetables in 3 tablespoons of butter. Add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika with the garlic if you still want a little smoke in the broth.
Add corn
Stir in 1 cup of corn kernels with the milk and cream. Frozen corn can go straight into the pot.
Recipe notes
Do not boil the dairy
A hard boil can make the milk separate and the fish tough. Keep the chowder at a gentle simmer after the dairy goes in.
Use a heavy-bottomed pot
A 5- to 6-quart Dutch oven or other heavy pot spreads the heat evenly and makes the milk less likely to scorch. A thin stockpot needs much more stirring once the dairy goes in.
Cut the fish into large pieces
Pieces around 1½ inches survive stirring and reheating much better than small cubes. Some will still flake into the broth, which is exactly what thickens it naturally.
The chowder thickens as it rests
It may look a little loose when the fish finishes cooking. Give it 5 minutes off the heat before deciding it needs more flour. Chowder has a way of becoming twice as thick the second you stop worrying about it.
Store leftovers gently
Refrigerate leftover chowder for up to 3 days. Reheat it over low heat, stirring carefully, and stop as soon as it is hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fish is best for fish chowder?
Haddock and cod are the classic choices because they are mild, firm, and flake into large pieces. Pollock, halibut, or another sturdy white fish also works.
What is the difference between fish chowder and clam chowder?
Fish chowder uses chunks of finfish such as cod or haddock as the main seafood. Clam chowder is built around chopped clams and their briny cooking liquid. Both can have a creamy New England-style broth with potatoes.
How do I thicken fish chowder?
This recipe uses flour and the starch released by the potatoes. If the finished chowder is thinner than you want, mash a few potato pieces against the side of the pot and stir them back into the broth.
Can I freeze creamy fish chowder?
It is not the best candidate for freezing. Dairy can separate and potatoes become grainy after thawing. Make it up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate it instead.
Can I make fish chowder ahead?
You can make the base through the potato step a day ahead. Reheat it gently, add the milk and cream, then poach the fish shortly before serving.
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