Superb Fish Chowder Cassies Recipes

CATHY'S AMAZING FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Place bacon strips in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Cook bacon until crisp, then remove to paper towels to drain. Drain grease from the pot, reserving about 1 tablespoon. Set heat to medium, and fry onions in the reserved bacon grease until tender, about 5 minutes.
• Add potatoes, and fill pot with just enough water to cover them. Bring to a boil, then cook until potatoes are almost tender, about 5 minutes. Add fish pieces, evaporated milk, whole milk, and butter. Bring to a boil, then simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls, and top with crumbled bacon pieces.

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.

CAPTAIN'S CHOWDER

Steps:

• Remove any skin from fish and cut in small cubes.
• In a nonstick pan, saute green pepper, onion, potato, and mushrooms in melted butter for 8-10 minutes.
• Add fish and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
• In a large saucepan, mix the soup and milk until smooth.
• Add the corn and wine and stir.
• Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Do not boil.
• Add the fish mixtures, by spoolfuls, stirring constantly.
• Add salt, pepper and pimento.
• Simmer, just below boiling for 5 minutes.
• Serve.

CREAMY SOUTHERN SEAFOOD OR FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Cook ham hock, bacon or salt pork until some fat is rendered, and then remove meat. Salt pork is more traditionally New England, but I just wanted a little smokey pork fat in my dish so I went with the ham hock.
• Pour off as much fat as you like and add butter or olive oil.
• In large pot add stock, milk, ham hock, bay leaves, pepper, thyme, Old Bay, salt and diced potatoes and bring to a simmer. If using bacon or salt pork, you can wait to add until the end.
• Sprinkle flour over butter and mix until light yellow (blonde) in color and flour is lightly cooked.
• Add onions, carrots and celery to roux and cook down for about 15 minutes until onions have lost a lot of their water and carrots are soft. The mixture should be quite thick, and will need to be stirred frequently at medium high heat.
• Add garlic to onion mixture and cook for a few more minutes.
• Once potatoes are starting to soften, but are not yet done, add onion and carrot mixture and stir.
• Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to medium to simmer. At this point of the mixture looks too thick you can add some more vegetable stock. I like to taste at this point to adjust salt etc. as well.
• Mix in corn and cook until corn is warmed.
• Add seafood mixture to pot and mix in lightly.
• Add cream and cheese and mix in until just smooth.
• At this point turn the pot to low or medium low, and as soon as the seafood is cooked it's ready to eat.
• This is definitely better the next day or after it's sat for a while, so you can leave it on a very low heat for a few hours or stick it in the fridge and reheat on the stove slowly the next day.
• You can remove the ham hock, or pull some of the meat off of it and add it inches.
• Serving it up with some crusty bread was perfect!

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.

CHEESY CATFISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter and saute the onion until tender. Pour in chicken broth and water. Mix in celery, carrots, and potatoes. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender.
• In a small bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups milk and cake flour. Mix into the Dutch oven.
• Mix remaining milk, celery salt, salt, and pepper into the Dutch oven. Stirring occasionally, continue cooking the mixture about 10 minutes, until thickened.
• Stir catfish into the mixture, and cook 5 minutes, or until fish is easily flaked with a fork. Mix in Cheddar cheese, and cook another 5 minutes, until melted.

TAMMY'S FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat olive oil and butter in a large stockpot over medium heat; cook and stir onions and celery in the hot oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine; raise heat to medium-high and cook until wine is reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Mix potatoes, fish stock, thyme, seafood seasoning, bay leaf, salt, and pepper into onion mixture; bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover stockpot, and simmer until potatoes are tender but not falling apart, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until cream is steaming, about 5 minutes. Stir cream and sea bass into potato mixture; cook until sea bass is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Season chowder with sugar, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.