Peter's Smoked Bluefish Chowder
Submitted by leemermaid17
Smoked bluefish chowder: flaky smoked bluefish stirred into a corn, potato, and smoked bacon base built on fish bouillon. A coastal New England chowder with bold, smoky character.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
60 minSmoked bluefish is one of the Northeast coast’s underappreciated treasures, an oily, flavourful fish that takes beautifully to smoke. This chowder leans into that smoky richness and builds around it rather than competing with it.
The foundation is three slow-cooked layers of flavour. First, the bacon renders its smoky fat. Second, the minced onions sweat for a full 20 minutes in that fat, softening and browning into a jammy sweetness. Third, the fish bouillon simmers with those caramelized onions to extract every drop of aromatic depth before the potatoes go in.
The bluefish is added at the very end and just heated through, not cooked. Smoked fish is already cooked during the smoking process and comes out tough and dry if you simmer it. Ten seconds of warming is plenty.
Letting the soup cool after the potatoes and corn go in (before adding the fish) is the chef’s trick. It gives the flavours time to meld and the potatoes time to absorb the bouillon’s savouriness, so the reheat is when the soup really blooms.
Chef Tips
- Blanching the diced bacon briefly before rendering mellows the heavy smoke, this is especially helpful with assertive slab bacon.
- Leave the potato skins on for rustic texture and a little extra body in the broth.
- Cook the corn on the cob in the bouillon if time allows, it infuses the broth with corn sweetness.
- Save the corncobs after cutting the kernels off, simmering them in the bouillon for 10 minutes adds incredible depth, then discard.
Variations
- Substitute smoked trout or smoked haddock if bluefish isn’t available, both work beautifully.
- Add a splash of heavy cream at the end for a richer, more classic New England style.
- Stir in fresh chopped dill or chervil with the parsley garnish for an herbal lift.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut the corn off the cooked cobs with a sharp knife.
You should have about 2 cups.
Set aside.
In a 4-quart casserole, melt the butter over low heat, add the bacon and sauté until lightly browned.
Remove with a slotted spoon to a side dish and reserve.
Discard all but 3 tablespoons of fat from the casserole, add the onions and cook until soft and lightly browned, about 20 minutes, stirring often.
Add the bouillon and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add the potatoes and simmer until barely tender.
Remove casserole from heat, add the corn and let cool completely.
Just before serving, bring the soup back to a simmer, add the smoked fish and just heat through.
Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a large grinding of black pepper.
Spoon into individual soup bowls, garnish with parsley or cilantro leaves and serve hot, accompanied by crusty French bread.
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