Description
This easy seafood chowder is a creamy, comforting dish featuring tender potatoes, succulent prawns or smoked fish, and sweet vegetables in a rich, flavorful broth. Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, it’s a warming classic that is enhanced with fresh lemon zest and parsley, served best with crusty bread for a hearty meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 1 small potato (about 150g), cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 75g fresh or frozen sweetcorn or peas (or a mixture)
- ½ tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve (optional)
- 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
Liquids and Oils
- ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 200ml semi-skimmed or whole milk
- 100ml vegetable or fish stock
Seafood
- 80g frozen prawns or smoked fish
Other
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- Crusty bread, to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare Potatoes: Place the cubed potatoes into a small saucepan and cover with cold salted water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes until just softened. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped celery and shallot, cooking for about 3 minutes until softened. Add grated garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add Flour and Build Sauce: Stir in the plain flour and cook for 1 minute to form a roux. Reduce heat to low and slowly whisk in the milk until a thick sauce forms. Then stir in the vegetable or fish stock and simmer gently for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly again.
- Combine Seafood and Vegetables: Add the cooked potatoes, seafood (prawns or smoked fish), and sweetcorn or peas to the sauce. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables have defrosted if frozen and the fish is cooked through.
- Finish and Season: Once the chowder is creamy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, stir in the lemon zest and juice. If the chowder is too thick, add up to 50ml of water to adjust consistency. Season with salt, black pepper, and the chopped parsley to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the chowder into bowls, garnish with extra black pepper and parsley. Serve hot with crusty bread if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute frozen seafood with fresh fish if preferred, adjusting cooking time accordingly.
- Using smoked fish will add a delicious depth of flavor to the chowder.
- Adjust the thickness of the chowder by adding more or less stock or water to suit your preference.
- For a richer chowder, use whole milk instead of semi-skimmed.
- To make this recipe gluten-free, substitute plain flour with a gluten-free flour blend.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 2 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: British
Keywords: seafood chowder, easy chowder, quick seafood soup, creamy chowder, fish soup
