New England Fish Chowder (Pressure Cooked)

This pressure cooker version of New England fish chowder cuts the traditional simmer time to almost nothing without losing any of the flavor. Butter sautés the onions and vegetables, fish chunks and stock go in, and a 4-minute pressure cook extracts every bit of flavor from the bones and skin if your fillets have them.

New England chowder is defined by what is not in it as much as what is. No tomatoes (that is Manhattan’s style), no cream-heavy base (that is a modern restaurant affectation), and no flour thickener. Just milk, potatoes, fish, and aromatics simmered until the potatoes release their natural starch and the chowder thickens on its own.

Cod, haddock, pollock, or any firm white fish works here. Fresh corn kernels go in after the pressure release to avoid overcooking, and the whole thing gets a quick simmer until the corn turns tender and the milk heats through. Ladled into wide bowls with a knob of butter on top and a pinch of fresh parsley, you have a weeknight version of coastal Maine in under 45 minutes.

Chef Tips

• Use fish stock if you can find or make it. Seafood base in a jar works too; water alone produces a thinner-tasting chowder.
• Cut potatoes uniformly at ½ inch. Big chunks stay raw; small chunks disintegrate into paste.
• Do not open the pressure cooker facing your face. Steam releases aggressively and the tilt-away rule exists for a reason.
• Add milk after the pressure release. Pressure cooking milk can scorch or separate.
• Pull the bay leaf before serving. Chewing a bay leaf is an unwelcome surprise.

Variations

• Add chopped bacon to the initial sauté for a smoky backbone.
• Swap milk for half-and-half for a richer, more traditional-restaurant chowder.
• Finish with ¼ cup dry sherry at service for an elegant, coastal-restaurant flavor twist.