Chef Chuck Hughes shared with us this Seafood Chowder recipe from his new cookbook, Chuck’s Home Cooking. It can be made with any seafood or leftover fish, and topping the thick, creamy chowder with homemade croutons makes this dish hard to beat.
Seafood Chowder
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
- ½ cup water
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 leek (white and light green parts only), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
- 3 stalks celery, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 cups Fish Stock or store-bought
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup table (18%) cream
- 1 can (10 ounces/284 g) whole-shelled baby clams, drained and juice reserved
- 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 11 ounces (300 g) haddock, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 7 ounces (200 g) cooked snow crab meat, picked over for bits of shell
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 batch Croutons, for garnish
Directions:
- Combine the bacon and water in a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often. Once the water has completely evaporated, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking the bacon until golden brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Scoop out the bacon, leaving the fat in the pot, and set aside.
- Add the butter, onions, leeks, and celery to the pot and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and
translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Sprinkle in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the fish stock, milk, cream, and reserved clam juice, then increase the heat to high and bring to a boil, stirring often. Once boiling, reduce
the heat to low, toss in the potatoes, and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes. Add the clams, reserved bacon, haddock, crab meat, salt, and pepper and simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. - Stir in the parsley and ladle the chowder into bowls. Top with the croutons. Store leftover soup, without croutons, in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
