Fish Chowder with Old Bay Sourdough Croutons

An easy Fish Chowder that is chocked full of tender fish, potatoes, bacon and topped with toasty old bay croutons! This soup is utterly delicious! Serves 6

It’s chowdah Wednesday!

As I sit here, glass of Malbec in one hand, typing this post with the other. You’d never guess that I could barely contain my excitement over this chowder. I kept counting down the days until I could share this soup… with you.

The broth. The flaky fish. The gigantic-toasty-old-bay-sourdough-croutons. It’s so ridiculously easy and tastes as if you ordered it off a menu at a seaside restaurant. In Maine… or something.

I made this chowder last week when we got piled on by snow. It was pretty much the perfect day. School was cancelled, I turned my favorite station on Pandora and made chowder.

Instead of my usual firm white fish, I substituted my newest love, barramundi. I found mine at Trader Joes, but Whole Foods and other retailers carry it too.

I’ve shared my love for this healthy, firm, omega-3 loaded fish here and here and my next stop {certainly not really my last} is to add it to soup. Barramundi worked beautifully in this recipe. It’s firm enough that it doesn’t fall apart when you stir and the flavor is mild so you are able to enjoy all the many flavors that are going on in this here fish chowder.

Make The Croutons:

I had a 3/4 of a loaf of sourdough bread left over from our grilled cheese dinner.

Use a bread knife and cut the loaf into inch slices, then into inch strips and then into cubes. Drizzle with a good mount of olive oil. You want the cubes coated, not soggy… coated enough so when you sprinkle a tablespoon of old bay seasoning, it sticks. Toss the bread cubes with your hands, spread them out into one even layer and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes, rotating the pan half-way through.

Try not to snack on these while you make the chowder… I dare you. Impossible.

Make The Soup:

Peel and dice up {about 3/4 to 1 inch pieces} about 9 medium {1 pound} of red skin potatoes.

And two medium yellow onions.

Add the diced bacon to your Dutch oven and heat over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the bacon is cooked through and crispy. Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate and scoot off to the side. Drain off all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat.

Throw in the diced onions…

… And cook until soft, translucent and the edges are slightly golden.

Meanwhile heat 1-1/4 cup of heavy cream until warm. Not to a boil, but hot to touch.

Add in a half cup of Sauvignon Blanc or your favorite dry white wine.

Cook until the wine has reduced down to half.

Throw in the diced potatoes…

Two cups of clam juice…

SIDE NOTE: My girls cringed and cried out EWWWWW clammmm juuuuuice every time they walked by and saw it on the counter. Wimps.

…then 1 bay leaf, 1-1/2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves, 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper.

…and 1-1/4 {heaping} teaspoon of old bay seasoning, more or less to taste. I love my old bay.

Stir, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 10-14 minutes.

… or until the potatoes are just about tender. The potatoes will cook while the fish is in the pot so you don’t want them falling apart.

Carefully nestle the fish into the broth-y goodness.

Note: I found it easier to partially thaw the fish, cut it into chunks and use a sharp knife to remove the skin. It will finish thawing as the soup base is being made.

Pour the heated cream over top.

Gently stir and cook the fish for 10 to 12 minutes on medium-low.

When the fish is finished cooking, don’t forget to remove the bay leaf. You probably don’t want to bite that.

You’ll know the fish is done because it’s tender and flaky.

Lastly, add in the bacon…

A quarter cup of chopped fresh parsley…

Taste and season with more kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Serve the fish chowder in a bowl and top with those croutons. If you have any left.

Okay, so besides the fish, bacon, potatoes and the light creamy broth. My favorite part is submerging the croutons down into the depths of my soup bowl, you will actually see it drowning and the air bubbles escape… the bread get’s sogged up with soup and then you get to eat it, OMG you guys the old bay, the soup… GAH! I’m hooked.

BTW the fish chowder reheats beautifully in a sauce pan over low heat (no boil). I wouldn’t microwave it… stick to the skillet, man.

It’s Wednesday so make some chowder!

Enjoy! And if you give this Fish Chowder recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!

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Yield: 6 servings

Fish Chowder with Old Bay Sourdough Croutons

An easy Fish Chowder that is chocked full of tender fish, potatoes, bacon and topped with toasty old bay croutons! This soup is utterly delicious!

Prep Time: 25 minutes mins

Cook Time: 35 minutes mins

Additional Time: 15 minutes mins

Total Time: 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Ingredients

FOR THE OLD BAY SOURDOUGH CROUTONS:

• 4 cups cubed sourdough bread, (eyeball it)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, or olive oil spray
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

FOR THE CHOWDER:

• 4 slices thick-cut applewood bacon, diced into cubes
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 1 pound redskin potatoes, peeled and chopped into 3/4 to 1 inch pieces
• 1/2 cup sauvignon blanc, or other dry white wine
• 2 cups clam juice
• 1½ tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon heaping freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bay leaf, 2 if small
• 1¼ heaping teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 to 1½ pounds barramundi fillets, or other firm white fish, cut into 2-inch pieces (skin removed)
• 1¼ cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

Equipment

• Lodge EC7OD13 Enameled Cast Iron Oval Dutch Oven, 7-Quart, Oyster White

Instructions 

MAKE THE CROUTONS:

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Toss the sourdough bread crumbs with olive oil and a tablespoon of old bay seasoning.
• Scatter the bread cubes in an even layer on a rimmed sheet pan and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through.
• Remove and set off to the side while you make the chowder.

MAKE THE CHOWDER:

• Throw the cubed bacon into a Dutch oven and turn the heat to medium. Cook the bacon until cooked through and crispy. Use a slotted spoon and transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Set off to the side and drain off all but two tablespoons of bacon fat.
• To the two tablespoons of bacon fat add in the chopped onion. Cook until the onion is soft, translucent and lightly golden around the edges.
• Pour in the 1/2 cup of dry white wine, reduce by half... about 5-8 minutes.
• Add in the peeled, diced potatoes and pour in the two 8 ounce jars of clam juice. Strip off 1-1/2 tablespoons of fresh thyme leaves. Measure and add in the salt and black pepper and the teaspoon and a quarter of old bay.
• Cover and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10-14 minutes until the potatoes are just about tender.
• Remove the lid and nestle the fish into the broth. Top with heated cream, reduce the temperature to low and let the hot soup slowly cook the fish. About 10 minutes. Meanwhile in a small skillet, heat the heavy cream until hot to touch, but not boiling.
• Add in the bacon and a loose quarter cup of chopped fresh parsley.
• Gently stir, taste and season with more salt and black pepper if needed.
• Serve with old bay croutons and a soup spoon, enjoy!

Serving: 1g, Calories: 559kcal, Carbohydrates: 37g, Protein: 30g, Fat: 32g, Saturated Fat: 15g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 134mg, Sodium: 960mg, Potassium: 915mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 1176IU, Vitamin C: 19mg, Calcium: 92mg, Iron: 3mg

Author: Laurie McNamara

Course: Mains & Entrees

Cuisine: American