Fish Chowder

This is a dish which I always shied away from making because every recipe that I’d come across included a host of seafood which I had never cooked before. However, I recently had a very nice chowder at a family do, and was inspired to give some thought to how to simplify the recipes I’ve seen to make it feasible for an unexperienced fish cook such as myself. This is the recipe which I came up with.

Ingredients (serves 4-6 depending on appetite!)

1x red pepper

1x leek

2x medium celery sticks

100g cauliflower

100g sweetcorn

2x white fish fillets

1x salmon fillet

100g prawns, cooked

300ml vegetable stock

10ml vegetable or other cooking oil

1 teaspoon butter

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground coriander

salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Finely chop the red pepper, leek and celery and put in a large saucepan with the oil and butter. Cook over a gentle heat until the vegetables are well softened. Mix in the cayenne pepper, coriander and a small amount of seasoning. This can be adjusted later on.

2. In separate pans boil the cauliflower and half the sweetcorn until soft. Blend these together until they form a smooth puree. This will be added to the chowder to thicken it.

3. Gently poach the fish until cooked, then remove the fish from the pan but retain the water. This can be added to the chowder to provide a more intense flavour.

5. Remove any skin from the fish and then flake the fillets into small pieces.

6. Add the poaching water to the saucepan with the veg. Bring the water to a simmer.

7. Add the cauliflower puree, prawns and remaining sweet corn along with the stock. You might not need all the stock, add less to start with- you can always add some more later.

8. Add the flaked fish and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes, until the prawns are heated through and the sweet corn is cooked. Season to taste and add more stock if required.

9. Serve up into bowls and serve with crusty bread and butter.

Et voila! Fish chowder made easy. If you’re more comfortable with seafood then I am, scallops and mussels can be added to this recipe.

Tip: try replacing the salmon with smoked mackerel for a slightly different flavour.