- Easy Clear Fish Chowder
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When most people think of fish chowder, they think of a white, cream-based broth. But not all fish chowders are cream-based. Here is the recipe for one that I find delightful and not as a heavy as those made with milk. For those of you with time, you can make your own stock and broth using whatever vegetables you prefer. For those of you in a hurry, just use a good canned vegetable broth.
Easy Clear Fish Chowder
1/4 stick of butter
Table spoon sea salt
2-3 cans of vegetable broth
1 sliced carrot
3 red potatoes, cubed
1 white onion
2 tablespoons sage
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 bag frozen shrimp, tails removed and cleaned
2 fillets of cod, chopped (frozen is fine)
1 can of baby clams, with a little of the liquid used in the soup
2 stalks of celery, chopped
In a large pot, melt 1/8 of a stick of butter and add a few cloves of finely minced garlic. A pinch of sea salt is good too. Once the butter melts, add the chopped celery and onions. Brown the veggies and then add vegetable broth, available in cans or cartons. Add as much as the soup you intend to make, leaving room for the fish and other ingredients.
Add the potatoes, carrots, and the remaining celery. If you want, you can use other vegetables, such as peas or corn. Let simmer for 25 minutes.
Then add the fish, shrimp, and clams. Also, at this point add the sage and chili powder and gently stir. Let simmer for another 20 minutes. Feel free to add other spices -- a bay leaf is wonderful, as is thyme.
About 10 minutes before serving, melt the remaining part of the butter in the soup, season to taste, and gently stir. Be careful not to break the cod into too small of pieces by stirring too strongly.
Serve with a good rye bread.