Chowder is a New England staple and we love serving it up on all of our Maine tours. We’ve even made a salmon chowder version on our Pacific Northwest and Alaska tours. Not a seafood person? We know how to make a pretty good corn chowder or potato leek chowder too!
Based on the classic Majorie Standish Fish Chowder Recipe, it’s pretty quick and easy, but if you are making it at home, the leftovers are even better the next day. Standard Maine chowder is usually not as thick as that stuff that comes from a can, but the starch from the potatoes, flour and evaporated milk does help it have a nice creamy texture, if you prefer a thicker chowder. Enjoy!
Serves about 6-8
Ingredients:
1 onion
butter (or 1-2 slices of chopped bacon or salt pork)
6-8 potatoes
1 14 oz carton chicken broth (or seafood or veggie)
1 qt half and half (or canned evaporated milk or heavy cream)
2-6 tbl flour
1 lb Haddock or mild fish, or combination of shrimp, fish, crab, clams, lobster, scallops
Dice the onion and cook in a large pot with butter until translucent, or with the chopped bacon. Add 1-2 tablespoons of butter and cook until beginning to lightly brown. This step helps to thicken the chowder. Peel and dice the potato into small pieces, add to the pot with enough water to just cover the potatoes and boil until just cooked. When the potatoes are soft, add in the chicken broth and half and half. Chop the fish or seafood mix into bite size pieces and add to the pot. Simmer on low, being careful not to scald the bottom. If you wish to have a thicker chowder, remove a cup or 2 of the liquid, whisk in more flour, and add back to the pot. Simmer and it will thicken even more. Serve with biscuits, saltines, oyster crackers or a nice sour dough bread! A nice side salad like our Harvest Salad will complete the meal.
