I rarely order chowder at restaurants because it’s a dish I want to eat at home—with my face close to the bowl, savoring the aroma and the warmth. Chowder is comfort food at its best: something to enjoy in cozy clothes, with the dishes done and a book nearby for when the meal winds down.
In reality I don’t always get that leisurely experience; most evenings I have to hover over my own bowl for a few moments before driving kids to activities. Still, chowder feels inherently homey and calming to me.
Corn, potato, and clam chowders are all classics, but this fish chowder with cod and dill has a special place at our table. A base of clam juice and heavy cream creates a creamy, thick broth studded with tender cod, potato, and fresh dill. To heighten the dill flavor and make the meal feel a little extra cozy, I like to serve it in onion-dill sour cream bread bowls. The round piece cut from each bread bowl is buttered and briefly broiled until toasty, perfect for dunking into the chowder. Tearing a piece of onion-and-dill bread, with a flaky sea-salt crust, and dipping it into the warm chowder is one of those small pleasures that reduce me to hungry happiness. Maybe you’ll feel the same.
Despite appearances, this dish isn’t overly time-consuming. You can have the bread bowls and chowder ready in about an hour: the bread bowls take around an hour from start to finish, with forty minutes of that being bake time, which gives you time to prepare the chowder while the bread bakes. Let both the bread and chowder cool to a comfortable eating temperature and you’ll have a satisfying dinner ready in roughly an hour—perfect for a Lenten Friday or any weeknight.
Cook’s Notes:
- A note on the clam juice: it contributes a subtle seafood depth rather than a strong clam flavor. It enhances the overall seafood character of the chowder, so I recommend keeping it in the recipe.
- If you prefer not to cook with wine for religious or health reasons, substitute 1/2 cup water. If you use water instead of wine, you don’t need to boil that step for three minutes before adding the clam juice.
- One potato is grated rather than cubed so the tiny bits break down and thicken the broth naturally. This avoids the need for flour or cornstarch. If you prefer a thinner, brothier chowder, simply cube all the potatoes.
- Warm the heavy cream separately before adding it to the chowder to reduce the risk of curdling. Heat it until steam rises but do not let it boil.
- Substituting milk or light cream may increase the chance of minor curdling; heavy cream is more stable.
- Letting the chowder rest until it reaches a comfortable eating temperature has two benefits: it allows flavors to meld, and if you serve the soup in bread bowls, it reduces sogginess by shortening the time the liquid sits against the bread.
Fish Chowder made with Cod and Dill
Rebecca Lindamood
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Ingredients
- 5 red potatoes peeled
- 2 medium onions peeled and finely minced
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 cups clam juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 ½ to 2 lbs cod cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh dill *See Notes
- salt and pepper to taste
- additional chopped dill and parsley for garnish
Optional:
- Bread Bowls for serving
Instructions
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Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and a pinch of salt and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the white wine and raise the heat to high to bring it to a full boil; let it boil for 3 minutes.
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Grate one potato and cut the remaining four potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Add both to the onions along with the clam juice, bay leaf, and Old Bay seasoning. The liquid should just cover the potatoes; if it doesn’t, add a little water or vegetable stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to medium-low and simmer until the grated potato breaks down and thickens the broth and the chunks are just tender. Do not overcook the larger potato pieces; they will continue to cook when you add the fish. While the potatoes simmer, warm the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until steam rises—do not boil.
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Stir the cod into the pot, pour the warmed heavy cream over the top, and keep the pot at a low simmer (do not boil) until the fish is cooked through and the potatoes are fully tender. Remove the bay leaf, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, stir in the fresh dill, and let the chowder cool slightly before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
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Serve in bread bowls if desired, garnished with additional chopped dill and parsley.
Notes
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition based on the actual ingredients you use with your preferred nutrition calculator.
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