Salt Cod Chowder Recipes

NEWFOUNDLAND COD CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large, heavy saucepan, cook bacon over medium high heat for about 10 minutes or until crisp.
• Chop the cooked bacon coarsely and set aside.
• Drain off all but 1 tablespoons bacon fat from saucepan.
• Add onions and savory to the saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until softened.
• Add potatoes, carrots, water and salt.
• Bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until tender.
• Add the cod chunks; simmer for about 5 minutes or until fish flakes easily.
• Add milk and pepper, heat through.
• Serve in bowls and garnish with the bacon and chives.

CODFISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until crisp and brown, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving drippings in the pot. Cook and stir onion and red bell pepper until softened, about 5 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Stir in garlic and seafood seasoning and cook and stir 2 more minutes.
• Pour in chicken broth and stir in potatoes and corn; add water if needed to cover vegetables. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low; simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Stir in milk and butter until butter has melted; mix in reserved bacon. Bring the soup just to the boiling point and stir in cod and parsley; cook, stirring occasionally, until fish flakes easily, 5 to 8 minutes.

NEW ENGLAND FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat a 4 to 6 quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced salt pork. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the pork is a crisp golden brown. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cracklings to a small ovenproof dish; reserve.
• Add the butter, onions, savory or 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 potatoes and stock. If the stock doesn't cover the potatoes, add a little water. 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. If the stock hasn't thickened slightly, smash a few of the potato slices against the side of the pot and cook for 1 to 2 minutes longer.
• Reduce the heat to low and season assertively with salt and pepper (you want to almost over season at this point in order to avoid having to stir once the fish is added). Add the fish fillets and cook over a low heat until the fish is almost done, 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and allow the chowder to sit for 10 minutes (the fish will finish cooking during this time).
• Gently stir in the cream and taste for salt and pepper. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate (only cover the chowder after it has chilled completely). Otherwise, let it sit for up to an hour at room temperature, allowing the flavors to meld.
• When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over a low heat; don't let it boil. Warm the cracklings in a low oven (220 degrees F) for a few minutes.
• Use a slotted spoon to mound the chunks of fish, the onions, and potatoes in the center of large soup plates or shallow bowls, ladle the creamy broth around and scatter the cracklings over top. Finish each serving with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and minced chives.
• Melt the butter in a heavy 7 to 8-quart stockpot over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, carrots, bay leaves, parsley, thyme, and peppercorns and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the vegetables become very soft without browning, about 8 minutes.
• Place the fish head on the vegetables and stack the fish frames evenly on top. Pour in the wine, cover the pot tightly and let the bones sweat until they have turned completely white, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add enough very hot or boiling water (approximately 2 quarts) to just barely cover the bones. Give the mixture a gentle stir and allow the brew to come to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, carefully skimming off any white foam that comes to the surface (try to leave the herbs, spices and vegetables in the pot).
• Remove the pot from the stove, stir the stock again and allow it to steep undisturbed for 10 minutes. Ladle through a fine-mesh strainer and season lightly with salt. If you are not going to be using the stock within the hour, chill it as quickly as possible.
• Cover the stock after it is thoroughly chilled (it will have a light jellied consistency) and keep refrigerated for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

COUNTRY FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook onion and bacon over medium heat until bacon is crisp; drain. Add milk, corn, clams, potatoes, butter, salt and pepper. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes., Stir in fish and heat through. Ladle into bowls. If desired, top with bacon and chives.

MOM'S NOVA SCOTIA SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Steps:

• Fill a large pot halfway with lightly salted water; bring to a boil. Add onions and carrots; cook until slightly tender, 10 minutes. Add potatoes; cook until tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
• Stir in salmon, cod, scallops, shrimp, lobster, and crab; cook over medium heat until salmon and cod are firm but chunks are still slightly translucent in the center, about 10 minutes. Drain half the water from the pot and add clams, heavy cream, and half-and-half. Place butter chunks atop the soup; season with salt and black pepper. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until salmon and cod are fully cooked and flake easily with a fork, about 30 minutes.

SALT COD CHOWDER

Steps:

• Freshen salt cod by soaking it overnight in cold water to cover.
• Drain, place in a stewing pot, and cover with fresh water.
• Bring to simmer with low heat.
• Check to see if the fish is still too salty - if so, drain, add fresh cold water, and bring to simmer again, and drain.
• Fry salt pork in stewing pot until crisp; remove fried pork scraps and reserve for garnish.
• Cook onion in pork fat until tender.
• Add potatoes, carrots, water, salt, and pepper and cook covered for about ten minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
• Add corn or hominy, heated milk, and freshened salt cod.
• Bring chowder to a simmering temperature, but do not boil.
• Garnish with the pork scraps.
• Serve hot, with freshly baked home made bread or rolls and butter.

PORTUGUESE KALE-AND-SALT-COD CHOWDER

Steps:

• Soak the salt cod overnight in cold water. Drain and tear the cod into bite-size pieces, removing any remaining bones. Cover the cod with fresh water and bring nearly to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let sit for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
• Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot over high heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 minutes to lightly brown. Reduce the heat to medium, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently until the onions are nearly soft, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and toss. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the kale, bay leaves and chili- pepper flakes. Return to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Skim the fat off the top of the soup. Add the cod, adjust the seasoning, ladle into bowls and sprinkle each with fresh mint.