Super Easy Seafood Chowder Recipe
Super Easy Seafood Chowder Recipe
There are some recipes that have always daunted me a little — souffle, anything involving expensive cuts of meat, and seafood chowder. Well, I’m happy to report that the last one isn’t something that daunts me anymore. It’s actually really easy, and not that expensive either. And it tastes so damned good that everyone has agreed that I need to make it more often. I suppose I can do that!
This chowder also reheats perfectly, making it the best lunch the next day with a freshly buttered crusty bread roll. Really, what’s not to love?
Here’s what you’ll need to get this amazing chowder on your table within forty minutes or so.
One of those wheels of prawns (because I am all about shortcuts here, I’m not about to peel half a kilo of raw prawns anytime soon, yuck!), one fillet of salmon, and two fillets of white fish. Don’t be concerned about the price of this amount of seafood, it really wasn’t that expensive considering the cost of beef and lamb. I’d happily pop $14 worth of chicken breast fillets in my trolley, so this really isn’t any different. The salmon fillet was around $6, the basa fillets were a whopping big $1.50 and the prawn wheel was $6. Definitely do-able!
You’ll also need some bacon, a leek, some potatoes, a tin of creamed corn, some fresh thyme and chives, salt and pepper, chicken stock, bay leaves, plain flour and cream.
Firstly, fry the bacon until golden and crisp, then remove half for sprinkling on top later. Then add the chopped leek and cook until softened, then add the chicken stock, some water, the potatoes, bay leaves and thyme. Simmer for fifteen minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through, then crush gently with a potato masher to break the potatoes up a little.
Meanwhile, place the fish fillets into a bowl with the flour and turn to coat. Gently cook the fish in a frying pan with some butter until lightly golden but not cooked through. Carefully add them to your soup with the tin of corn and simmer for another five minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir through cream. Spoon into bowls and top with reserved bacon and fresh herbs, and serve immediately with lots of crusty bread.
Our kids are still raving about this one – I hope yours like it too!
Ingredients
- 2 rashers bacon, chopped
- 1 leek, white part only, halved and sliced
- 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 2 1/4 cups water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 white fish fillets, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 500gms cooked, peeled prawns
- 1 large can creamed corn
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 300mls cream
- Chopped fresh chives and thyme to serve
Instructions
- Place bacon in a large heavy based saucepan on medium high heat and cook until golden. Remove half to a plate and reserve. Add the leeks to the remaining bacon and cook for 5-6 minutes until softened.
- Add the diced potatoes, chicken stock, water, bay leaves and thyme to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Increase heat until the soup comes to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked through, then using a potato masher, gently crush the potatoes within the soup to break up slightly.
- Meanwhile, place the salmon and white fish fillets in a bowl and sprinkle with flour and black pepper. Ross to coat, then melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying pan and lightly brown the fish in batches. It doesn’t need to be cooked all the way through.
- Add the fish and prawns to the soup and stir in the creamed corn. Cook gently for five minutes then remove from heat. Stir through the cream and serve topped with remaining bacon, thyme sprigs and chives.
Jill Slater
Jill is a busy wife and mother of four young children. She loves nothing more than making people giggle, and loves to settle in with a glass of wine (or four) and wander about the internet. Feel free to follow her to see all the cool stuff she finds!
