Oven-Baked Fish Chowder
Sunday, October 23, 2011 at 9:47AM 
The Circle B Kitchen has been cooking and blogging for a couple of years now, and I’ve decided that it’s time for a little hiatus. It seems a natural, even necessary part of any creative endeavor to pause once in a while and gather some new productive energy and seek renewed inspiration for the work.
The Circle B Kitchen blog has been incredibly fun for me to produce, and I anticipate many more years of cooking, writing and photography ahead. But for the next two months or so, I plan on getting the computer and photography equipment cleaned and serviced, and spend some unhurried time researching and creating new recipes to share with you. And if you have a minute to check out the recipe index, you’ll maybe agree with me that the list is pretty long for 2-years’ work, and I’d really like to spend some time going back and cooking some of these amazing dishes again.
But before I take my leave, I want to be sure you have something lovely to keep you warm over the next couple of months. And this chowder really is just the ticket. It’s such an easy recipe (once you get everything chopped up) because it all just gets thrown into the pot and baked for an hour. Add your milk and you’re done.
Well, almost. It really just depends on how thick you like your chowders. Personally, I like a medium to light chowder that isn’t too rich and heavy, but it must have enough body to actually qualify as a chowder in my world. The original recipe (which is awesome, btw), turns out a fairly thin chowder, so I’ve amended the recipe to give you some options for thickening it up if you like.
But in the end, this is one of the best chowders I’ve had in recent memory, and I’m pretty sure you’ll be hooked too. It’s just the thing to warm those chilly winter evenings and keep you snug and comfy til I get back in January. Here’s the recipe…
Oven-Baked Fish Chowder
Click here for a printable recipe
Recipe adapted from Cooking.com
This recipe turns out a little thinner than a traditional chowder (more soup than chowder), so if you’d like yours a little thicker, see my notes at the end of the recipe. I used whole milk, but I’m pretty sure that using half and half or even cream would make this a little thicker. I used cod and it was really wonderful. I also added 12 oz of chopped clams, which I highly recommend.
2 pounds cod, haddock or any firm white fish, bones removed
3 cups cubed russet potatoes
(I added 12 oz of chopped clams)
2 cups hot fish stock or water (I used Snow's bottled clam juice)
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
1 1/2 cups chopped onion
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh dill
1 1/2 teaspoons salt (or 2)
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (and more for finishing)
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, minced
Pinch of ground cloves
1 cup milk or light cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine all ingredients except milk and parsley in a heavy, 4-quart ovenproof soup pot. Cover and bake until fish flakes into pieces and potatoes are tender, about 1 hour.
Transfer soup pot to stovetop. Slowly stir in milk. Simmer gently over low heat until rewarmed, about 5 minutes. Add parsley. Finish with a healthy grinding of cracked black pepper and serve with fresh, crusty bread.
Note: to thicken the chowder, do not add the butter with the rest of the ingredients. After you take the pot out of the oven, melt the butter and mix it with 2 to 3 tablespoons of flour (depending on how thick you would like it) and 1 ¼ cups of milk. Whisk this into the soup and use the whisk to mash a few of the potatoes. Bring the soup back to a boil and let it simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes. Remove it from the heat and let it sit for another 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, and then stir in your parsley. Taste for salt and pepper. The longer it sits, the thicker it will get. And it's even better the next day.
Reader Comments (23)
Enjoy your sabbatical and the holidays...looking forward to your new creations.
Thanks so much, Cary!
This looks incredible! I love the idea of baking the chowder. Definitely giving this a try!
Hope you enjoy the time off. Hurry back. I can't wait to try this soup. We love clam chowder and this looks so good!
Patrice,
I've just recently discovered your website this past summer and have enjoyed it thoroughly. I'm working my way through your older postings as well as your recent ones. Enjoy your time off and know your readers will be awaiting your return.
Thanks so much, Jennifer. I'll be back with lots more recipes for you...
Wow! This sounds so good. And easy. Can't wait to make it. Hope you get back soon. We love your blog.
This looks really good, but I'm just curious what effect baking it has on the chowder. Have a good hiatus.
Thanks, Art. I'm not entirely sure how baking affects the chowder, but I noticed a couple of things right off, the first being that you don't have to worry about scorching the milk on the bottom of the pan which can happen to some chowders that cook on the stove. And besides how easy it is to just throw everything in the pot and put it in the oven, the even heat seems to cook everything just perfectly. I love the flavors that developed over that hour in the oven. Let me know what you think if you try it.
I love this! Definitely making it this weekend. I made your pasta fagioli for some friends last week and we all loved it! Thanks for the great recipes. Looking forward to lots more when you get back.
Thanks, Margie! Enjoy the chowder!
Love it! This sounds amazing...can't wait to make it. I might even throw some shrimp or scallops in it. Have a good hiatus. We'll watch for your return.
Thank you, Deeanna! If you'd like to add shrimp and/or scallops (which sounds really good, btw), I would do it near the end of the cooking time or even after you take it out of the oven. You wouldn't want them to overcook.
I recently discovered your blog and made your tomato jam recipe which was a hit at my potluck and I've been a fan of your blog since! Hope you enjoy your time off and come back with a rejuvenated soul.
Thanks so much, Linda. So glad you enjoyed the tomato jam!
We made your chowder for a football party last night and everyone loved it! It was a hit! And so easy to make. I thickened it as you suggested and it came out perfect. Thanks for the great recipe. We'll be making this again!
This looks so yummy! Have you tried making this with some chili on it?
Haven't tried it with chili on it. Intriguing. Perhaps you have?
I haven't tried it yet. I'm slowing down with the chili these past few days because of my stomach issues. :)
Sorry to hear you're disappearing for a bit, but I'm sure you'll have fun recharging your batteries and will be back with more amazing recipes for us soon!
Hi Patrice!
Looks like I've come across your blog just as you decided to take a vacation! Thankfully you've left behind plenty of wonderful recipes for me to browse through until you return with the fresh and new.
I'm especially enjoying the endearing tales about you and your family. Sounds like there's a lot of love floating around to be put into your food!
Have a lovely time away and very nice to meet you, from Canada!
So nice to hear from you, Ashley! And thank you for those kind words. I'm excited to get back with lots of new recipes and hope you'll check back in often!
I made this last night for the family and we all loved it. Even the 13 year old had seconds. Great recipe.