A rustic, brothy fish chowder that comes together easily and is ready in under an hour.
Course Soup
Cuisine American
Keyword Gluten-free
Essential Ingredient Haddock, Leeks
Prep Time 10 minutesminutes
Cook Time 40 minutesminutes
Total Time 50 minutesminutes
Servings 6people
Ingredients
3Tablespoonsunsalted butter
2thinleeks white and light-green parts only
3clovesgarlicminced
1/2teaspoonsmoked paprika
1/4cupdry vermouthor white wine
4cupsseafood brothor fish stock, vegetable stock
1cupclam juice
1poundpetite Yukon Gold potatoeshalved
3sprigs of fresh thyme
1bay leaf
1/2teaspoonWorcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepperto taste
fine sea saltto taste
1cupsweet corn kernelsfresh, frozen or canned
1cupheavy cream35%
28-ozhaddock filletsor cod, halibut or other white fish
For serving
black pepper
hot sauce
oyster crackerssaltines or rustic bread
Instructions
Halve the leeks lengthwise, fan out, thoroughly rinse and pat dry. Thinly slice the leeks crosswise.
Melt the butter in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and sauté until softened, 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the garlic and smoked paprika and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour in the vermouth and scrape the bottom of the pan to deglaze it. Sauté until the alcohol has cooked off, 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the seafood broth, clam juice, potatoes, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and Worcestershire sauce. Season with salt and pepper (about 1/2 teaspoon of each).
Cover the pot and simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Uncover, reduce the heat to low, and stir in the corn and heavy cream. Carefully nestle the fish fillets into the broth and season lightly with salt and pepper. Cover the pot and simmer undisturbed until the fish flakes easily with a fork and is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Give the chowder a gentle stir, breaking the fish into nice-size chunks. Remove the pot from the heat (compost or discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs), Give it a taste and add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Ladle the chowder into individual bowls and top each with some grinds of black pepper. If desired, serve with your favourite hot sauce and some oyster crackers.