My Favourite Recipe for Seafood Chowder

A few years ago I was visiting a small fishing town called Ucluelet which is on the ruggedly beautiful west coast of Vancouver Island BC. While I was there, I happened to stumble upon a seafood chowder festival and was so taken with the signature textures and flavours of the individual bowls that I set out to create a chowder recipe of my own.

I wanted a chowder that was creamy but not too rich. A chowder brimming with seafood, hints of bacon, and a tiny burst of heat. Finally, I wanted this dish to be filled with amazing flavour but still be simple to put together using easy to find ingredients.

And the result: My Favourite Recipe for Seafood Chowder!

My chowder is filled to the rim with lobster, prawns, scallops, and white fish! Seasoned with fresh herbs and bacon, I hope this pantry staple becomes a favourite of yours as well!

Visit the printable recipe here: Seafood Chowder
Please enjoy my easy to follow step by step video.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup cooked lobster or crab meat
• 6 slices diced bacon
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced white onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 3 Tbsp diced jalapeno pepper
• 6 to 8 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 tablespoon)
• 2 dried bay leaves
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 4 cups baby red and white potatoes, skins on, quartered
• 2 cups diced carrots
• 5 cups low sodium vegetable stock
• 1 tsp each sea salt and coarse ground black pepper
• 2 skinless haddock or cod fillets, cut into 1 inch chunks
• 3 cups jumbo shrimp
• 1 cup baby scallops
• 1 1/2 cups half and half cream
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Directions

1. Heat a 4 to 6 quart heavy pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is a crisp golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a small dish; reserve.
2. Add the butter, onions, celery, thyme, and bay leaves to the fat in the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onions have softened but not browned, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until fragrant.
3. Add the potatoes, carrots and stock and toss well. Pour the vegetable stock over all and the add the salt and pepper. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and boil the potatoes vigorously until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the fish fillets, prawns, scallops, and lobster and bring just to the boil. Cover, turn heat to medium low, and continue to gently boil over a low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit covered for an additional 10 minutes this will continue to cook the seafood.
5. Gently stir in the cream, the reserved bacon, and the chives
6. Serve in large bowls and garnish with additional chives. 

Author:

Lyndsay Wells is a professional trainer, writer, and program developer with a passion for food and cooking. She is an award winning recipe developer, and a website ambassador for Kraft Foods Canada. Lyndsay believes cooking should be approachable and easy and has great tips and ideas for putting together sophisticated looking dishes that cooks of all levels can accomplish.

Visit her daily on her blog, The Kitchen Witch or on her YouTube Channel, CHARMED With The Kitchen Witch.