If there was ever a soup in Nova Scotia that will warm you right through on a cold day its hearty seafood chowder! I absolutely love a great bowl of seafood chowder, but admittedly I am a bit of a “food snob” especially when it comes to chowder. I blame it on my need for top quality and uber fresh ingredients, which is critical when it comes to seafood. I also feel really great chowder needs to be prepared with love and care; you can’t simply throw together a pot of seafood chowder!
There are two main types of chowder; New England and Manhattan. Out East I have only ever encountered New England style which is cream/milk based and white. Manhattan style chowder on the other hand, has a tomato base, with a little spice and is red in colour. For the winter months I tend to lean towards the creamy rich New England style chowder, reserving the lighter Manhattan chowder for the spring and fall months.
This recipe isn’t difficult to prepare, it just takes a little love, attention and some great seafood. The seafood departments in the Atlantic Sobeys stores sell a fresh “chowder mix” ready to go, consisting of scallops, shrimp, salmon, lobster and haddock. I usually select my own seafood and prepare it myself, that way I can change up some of the fish and shellfish I use depending on what looks great in the case! Oh, I forgot to mention that if you are serving chowder, there has to be fresh baked biscuits! Trust me I have made that mistake once before.
Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder
Makes: 11 cups
Prep time: 30 minutes
Total time: 70 minutes
150g each fresh salmon, halibut, bay scallops
The meat from 1 cooked lobster
120 g Compliments Natural Smoked Bacon, diced
2 tbsp (30 ml) unsalted butter
2 cups (500 ml) diced onions cut in 1/2"
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup (250 ml) diced celery
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed
2 dried bay leaves
3 cups (750 ml) Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2"
½ cup (125 ml) clam juice
1 ½ cups (375 ml) vegetable broth or water
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream
sea salt and white pepper
¼ cup (63 ml) fresh chives finely minced
¼ cup (63 ml) fresh parsley, washed and chopped
- Heat a heavy bottomed pot over medium high heat. Add the bacon and cook slowly until crisp and golden, strain off fat. Add the butter, 1 cup of diced onions and celery, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tbsp fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves. Sauté, stirring occasionally until vegetables are tender but not browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the diced Yukon gold potatoes, clam juice, cream and broth to cover the potatoes. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer, cook 10 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Carefully add the fish and scallops, gently simmering until cooked through, about 2-3 minutes more.
- Season to taste with sea salt and pepper, and then stir in the lobster meat. Taste to check the seasoning and serve garnished with 2 tbsp fresh chives and parsley. Or let cool completely, refrigerate and reheat when ready to serve.
Nutritional Analysis per Serving:
Energy: 260 (kcal)
Protein: 15 g
Fat: 15 g
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Happy Cooking!
Chef Ryan Skelton
