French Fish Chowder Recipes

CHAUDIERE DE POISSON (FRENCH FISH CHOWDER)

Steps:

• In a kettle or deep saucepan, combine the fish bones, wine, water, coarsely chopped onions, bay leaf, split cloves of garlic, thyme sprigs, parsley sprigs, celery, salt and peppercorns. Simmer, uncovered, about 20 minutes. Strain, discarding the solids.
• Meanwhile, prepare the potatoes and let them stand in cold water.
• Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the minced garlic, finely chopped onions, green pepper and leeks. Cook, stirring, about 5 to 10 minutes until the mixture is wilted.
• Sprinkle with flour and stir to distribute it evenly. Drain the potatoes and add them to the saucepan. Add six cups of the fish broth made in the first step. Let simmer 10 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
• Meanwhile, prepare the fish. If flounder or sole is used, you will note that there is a line of tiny fish bones running down the center of each fillet. Run a knife on each side of this line and discard it. Cut the fish fillets into one-and-one-half-inch cubes. Add the cubed fish to the chowder. Simmer about five to 10 minutes. Add the heavy cream, salt, pepper and Ricard or Pernod. Serve piping hot sprinkled with chopped parsley.

FRENCH FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Cut the fish into 1-inch cubes.
• Heat the oil in a large saucepan or kettle, and add the onions, celery, garlic and peppers. Cook, stirring, over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add turmeric, saffron, wine, tomatoes, bay leaf, thyme, pepper flakes, fish broth or water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add the orzo, stir well and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes or until the orzo is tender.
• Add the fish, stir, bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the bay leaf, sprinkle with basil and serve with the garlic croutons.

FABULOUS FRENCH FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in large saucepan or 5-quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add celery, pepper, onion, and garlic; cook, stirring, until vegetables are tender. Add fish broth or water,* tomatoes, wine, turmeric, thyme, bay leaf, crushed red pepper, and saffron. Heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add orzo; stir well and simmer about 8 minutes until tender. Add fish; heat to boiling. Simmer about 5 minutes until fish is done. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Sprinkle with chopped basil; garnish with croutons.

FULTON MARKET FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, add the onions, leeks, and celery, and saute until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the garlic, tomatoes, saffron, and seasonings. Stir about 2 minutes, then add the white wine and cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until almost all the liquid has evaporated, before adding fish stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook 45 minutes. At the end of 45 minutes, add the potatoes and cook 20 minutes longer, or until the potatoes are tender.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
• While the broth is simmering, make the peppery croutons: Brush one side of each French bread slice with the olive oil, sprinkle with cracked pepper, and toast in the oven until crisp (about 12 minutes). After the potatoes have simmered 20 minutes, add the fish. Reheat to just below a boil and cook at a strong simmer 3 to 5 minutes, until the fish is cooked but not yet flaking apart. Remove the bay leaves, taste for seasoning, and serve immediately, garnished with the Peppery Croutons.

BOUILLABAISSE OR FULTON MARKET FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Combine the olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, saffron and basil in a large dish or bowl. Add the pieces of fish and shellfish to the oil and combine well so that all the fish and shellfish are equally coated with the marinade mixture. Refrigerate the fish and allow to marinate over night or for several hours.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Put the fish broth into a large soup pot or casserole that is stovetop safe, bring the stock to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Gently simmer the broth for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make croutons and rouille: Brush one side of each French bread slice with olive oil, sprinkle with cracked pepper, and toast in oven about 12 minutes or until crisp. For the rouille: Combine the cayenne pepper, garlic, sliced potato and hot broth in a saucepan and cook for 17 minutes or until the potato is cooked and soft. Transfer the mixture to a blender and, while pureeing, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Transfer this to a serving bowl and serve along side the croutons. Add the clams and mussels into the broth. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the clams begin to open. Season the lobster, shrimp and fish with salt and pepper and add to broth. Allow the fish to cook for 6 to 8 minutes after the broth has returned to a simmer. Do not boil the fish. Serve hot.

CLASSIC FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large pot over low heat. Add fatback or bacon, and cook for 3 minutes. Discard pork. Add parsley, bay leaf, potato, and fish fumet. Simmer gently until potato is tender, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Add fish, cover, and gently simmer until fish is just cooked through, about 2 minutes. Gently stir in milk and salt, and heat until warmed through, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Discard parsley and bay leaf. Serve chowder immediately with freshly ground pepper and chopped parsley on the side.

FRENCH CANADIAN CARLETON SUR MER FISH CHOWDER (LOW FAT)

Steps:

• In a saucepan, cook the onion in the oil for 5 minutes over low heat until transparent but not brown.
• Add garlic, potatoes, carrot, red pepper, celery and water. Simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender (about 15 minutes).
• Cut fish into chunks and add to saucepan. Cook, covered, for 3 minutes for fresh fish, 10 minutes for frozen.
• Add cumin or dill, parsley, milk (skim, 1 %, 2 % or whole milk) and corn. Season with pepper to taste. Heat but do not boil.
• Serve immediately with toasted whole wheat bread or unsalted cream crackers.
• Offer guests paprika or bacon for light dusting. Serves 4 to 6.
• The Memory Lane Cookbook Etienne Poirier, Jr.

CREAMY FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion in butter until tender. Add the broth, potatoes, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender., In a bowl, combine the flour, potato flakes and milk until smooth. Stir into the potato mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; add fish and parsley. Cover and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until fish is opaque.

NEW ENGLAND FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, melt 1/4 cup butter over medium heat. Cook onions until tender but not browned. Add the potatoes, salt, pepper and water. Top with fish. Simmer, covered, until potatoes are fork-tender, 20-25 minutes. , In a large saucepan, heat milk over medium heat until bubbles form around side of saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk and remaining butter; add to fish and potato mixture. If desired, season with additional salt and pepper. Heat through.

FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large stockpot, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Saute onions, mushrooms and celery in butter until tender.
• Add chicken stock and potatoes; simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add fish, and simmer another 10 minutes.
• Mix together clam juice and flour until smooth; stir into soup and simmer for 1 minute more. Season to taste with Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat, and stir in evaporated milk. Top each bowl with crumbled bacon, if desired.

BOUILLABAISSE

Steps:

• To make the croutons heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Lay the slices of bread on a flat baking tray in a single layer, drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 mins until golden and crisp. Set aside - can be made a day ahead and kept in an airtight container.
• Use a layer of the green part of the leek to wrap around and make a herb bundle with the thyme, bay, parsley stalks, orange peel and chilli. Tie everything together with kitchen string and set aside.
• Heat the oil in a very large casserole dish or stock pot and throw in the onion, sliced leek and fennel and cook for about 10 mins until softened. Stir through the garlic and cook for 2 mins more, then add the herb bundle, tomato purée, star anise, Pernod if using, chopped tomatoes and saffron. Simmer and stir for a minute or two then pour over the fish stock. Season with salt and pepper, bring to a simmer, then add the piece of potato. Bubble everything gently for 30 mins until you have a thin tomatoey soup. When that piece of potato is on the brink of collapse, fish it out and set aside to make the rouille.
• While the broth is simmering make the rouille by crushing the garlic, chilli and saffron with a pinch of salt in a mortar with a pestle. Mash in the cooked potato to make a sticky paste then whisk in the egg yolk and, very gradually, the olive oil until you make a mayonnaise-like sauce. Stir in the lemon juice and set aside.
• Once the chunky tomato broth has cooked you have two options: for a rustic bouillabaisse, simply poach your fish in it along with the mussels, if you're using (just until they open) and serve. For a refined version, remove the herb bundle and star anise. Using a handheld or table-top blender, blitz the soup until smooth. Pass the soup through a sieve into a large, clean pan and bring to a gentle simmer. Starting with the densest fish, add the chunks to the broth and cook for 1 min before adding the next type. With the fish we used, the order was: monkfish, John Dory, grey mullet, snapper. When all the fish is in, scatter over the mussels, if using, and simmer everything for about 5 mins until just cooked and the mussels have opened.
• Use a slotted spoon to carefully scoop the fish and mussels out onto a warmed serving platter, moisten with just a little broth and scatter over the chopped parsley. Bring everything to the table. Some people eat it as two courses, serving the broth with croutons and rouille first, then the fish spooned into the same bowl. Others simply serve it as a fish stew. Whichever way you choose the rouille is there to be stirred into the broth to thicken and give it a kick.

FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Melt butter in a large soup pot. Saute the onions, carrots, and celery about 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle with flour. Stir to coat the vegetables.
• Add the wine and tomatoes; stir to blend.
• Add water, salt and pepper to taste and thyme. Cook 20 minutes then add the cubed potatoes.
• Cook another 20 minutes then add the fish.
• Simmer for about 10 minutes. Then stir in the heavy cream. Bring to medium heat level, stirring occasionally. Do NOT bring to a boil.
• Put in serving bowls; sprinkle with Old Bay Seasoning. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
• Note: Some like to add cayenne pepper.