Making delicious restaurant-style soups like my New England Fish Chowder in your home kitchen isn’t difficult. It’s all about the ingredients and a few simple techniques.
Wouldn’t your friends and family love to sit down to this delicious Fish Chowder? With my chef tips, you’ll be creating delicious soups in your home in no time!
What ingredients do I need to make a New England Style Fish Chowder?
Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make my Fish Chowder. In Chef Speak this is called the “Mise en Place” which translates to “Everything in its Place”.
Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the up cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.
What kind of fish can I use to make Chowder?
In my restaurant days I would make this soup out of whatever fish I had leftover. You can even save cooked fish in your freezer and use that to make chowder.
These are some of my favorite fish to use in my chowder.
- cod
- pollock
- haddock
- salmon
Or use a combination of fish and seafood you have on hand.
How do I make New England Fish Chowder?
In a 4- 6 quart soup pot cook the bacon until almost done. Add the onions, celery and carrots and continue cooking for 5-6 minutes.
Reduce the heat to low and add the flour to the pot to make a roux. This will thicken the soup.
Allow the roux to cook over low heat for 5- 7 minutes, but don’t let the roux get dark or burn.
Heat the stock in a saucepan while the roux is cooking. Add the hot stock to the roux and mix well using a wire whisk.
Add the potatoes, corn, and fresh thyme into the pot at this time stirring them into the soup.
Add the milk and heavy cream to the soup, mixing well. Bring the soup to a light boil, reduce the heat to simmer and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes, stirring occasionally.
After allowing the soup to simmer, add the halibut and black pepper. Let the soup continue to simmer over low heat for an additional 15-20 minutes. Or until the halibut is fully cooked.
*If the soup gets to thick, add water to pot. I wouldn’t add any more dairy at this point, just water.
Serve this delicious Fish Chowder with crusty bread or crackers and watch the smiles around the dinner table!
Recipe FAQ’s
Fish chowder will hold up for 4 days in your refrigerator. And the truth is it will taste better the second day when the ingredients have to time build their flavors.
Yes, you can. Let it fully thaw in your refrigerator before heating, and you may need to add a little water to thin the soup out.
*Reheat the chowder to a minimum of 165 degrees for one minute before serving.
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Restaurant Style New England Fish Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 pound halibut or other fish or combination of seafood
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 4 strips bacon
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion small dice
- 4 stalks celery small dice
- 2 large carrots small dice
- 1 cup corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 2 medium potatoes cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves chopped
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 3 cups milk
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- In a 4- 6 quart soup pot add the bacon and cook until almost done over medium-high heat
- Add the butter, onion, celery, and carrots, to the pot. Continue to cook the mixture for 4-6 minutes. Stirring the mixture as needed.
- Reduce the heat to low and add in the flour, making the roux that will thicken the soup.
- Allow the roux to cook over low heat for 5- 7 minutes, but don’t let the roux get dark or burn.
- Heat the stock in a saucepan while the roux is cooking. Add the hot stock to the roux and mix well using a wire whisk.
- Add the potatoes, corn and fresh thyme into the pot at this time stirring them into the soup.
- Add the milk and heavy cream to the soup. Bring to a light boil, reduce the heat to simmer and allow to simmer for 30-45 minutes.
- After allowing the soup to simmer, add the halibut and black pepper. Let the soup continue to simmer over low heat for an additional 15-20 minutes. Or until the halibut is fully cooked. **If the soup gets to thick, add water to pot. I wouldn't add any more dairy at this point, just water.
- Serve with crusty bread or crackers.
Nancy
This is just fabulous! I’ve always made a good clam chowder but this was really a great change. I love how colorful it looks with the different veggies. Husband & 94 y/o father-in-law both loved it! Thanks Chef Dennis!!
Jackie
It calls for bacon, but the recipe doesn’t mention it? How is it incorporated into the recipe?
Chef Dennis Littley
its the first step in the instructions
Jere Cassidy
So glad you posted this recipe. My hubby always talks about the fish chowders they had in Maine and he wasn’t referring to clam or shrimp chowders, just fish. I can’t wait to surprise him with a big bowl.
Elizabeth
Loved this recipe! Will definitely be making again!
Addie
I live in Maine so I can attest that this is the real deal!
Kristina
Amazing recipe! Clam chowder is my fave soup, and making it with fish instead was a great alternative. Thanks for the easy idea!
Oscar
This was delicious, I loved making it with cod. My kids loved it too.
Nora
What a lovely recipe! Thank you for sharing this restaurant styled soup!
Amanda Dixon
This chowder is an absolute winner! It’s so decadent and creamy — everyone loved it!
Sabrina
Creamy delicious and all the flavours I love in a chowder. Thanks for this recipe!
Freya
This has become a new family favourite!
Alexandra
Yum – what a delicious recipe. Great flavours and so comforting.
Audrey
This was such a delicious chowder.