SEAFOOD CHOWDER
I love a good seafood chowder! Serving it in bread bowls makes for a much more exciting meal.
Umami-filled miso paste is a key ingredient – it adds depth and delicious savoury flavour to the chowder, really taking it up a notch. (+ I promised a while ago that I would give you some more recipes to use up your miso paste!)
If the thought of seafood marinara makes you squirm, you could just use prawns instead. For a completely non-fish option, try sautéing some bacon, diced potato and corn with the vegetables in step two.
SEAFOOD CHOWDER
I love a good seafood chowder! Serving it in bread bowls makes for a much more exciting meal, and the addition of miso paste really helps to balance out the flavours.
Ingredients
BREAD BOWLS
- 4 large bread rolls
- 1 clove garlic
- 30 g butter (1oz)
CHOWDER
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 celery stalks
- 1 large carrot
- 1 brown onion
- 50 g butter (1.8oz)
- 1/4 cup white wine (60ml) (optional)
- 3 cups chicken stock (750ml)
- 1/4 cup cornflour (4 Tbsp)
- 1 cup millk (250ml)
- 2 tsp miso paste
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp paprika
- 400 g seafood marinara mix (frozen is ok) (14oz)
- 1/2 cup lite sour cream (125ml)
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 2 spring onions
- 4 lemon wedges (optional)
SALAD
- 2 radishes
- 2 celery stalks
- 80 g baby rocket (2.8oz)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp sugar
Instructions
PREPARE BREAD BOWLS
Line an oven tray with baking paper. Cut the tops off the bread rolls and scoop out most of the bread from inside the roll (set aside to dip in the chowder later). Place rolls and tops on prepared tray. Crush the garlic, place in a microwave safe dish with the butter and microwave until melted. Brush the inside of the rolls and the tops with garlic butter mixture. Preheat oven to 180ºC (360ºF) bake, ready to bake the rolls a little later.
MAKE CHOWDER
Crush the garlic. Dice celery, carrot and onion. Melt butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add garlic, celery, carrot and onion and cook until soft (5-10 minutes). Add the wine (if using) and simmer for 1 minute, then add the stock and bring to a simmer.
In a medium-sized bowl, dissolve cornflour in 1/4 cup of the milk. Whisk in the remaining 3/4 cup milk, miso paste, mustard, lemon zest, oregano and paprika. Pour into the saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. At this point, place bread bowls in the oven to bake for 10-15 minutes, until golden brown (set a timer so you don’t forget them!).
Add seafood to the chowder and cook for 5 minutes (or a little longer if you are using a frozen mix). Stir through sour cream and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low until ready to serve.
PREPARE SALAD
Finely slice radish and slice celery. Combine with the rocket. Make dressing by whisking together oil, lemon juice, mustard and sugar. Season with salt and pepper.
SERVE
Finely slice spring onions. Ladle chowder into bread bowls and top with spring onions. Fresh parsley is good too, if you have some on hand. Serve with salad (drizzled with dressing), lemon wedges and bread from inside the rolls.
Recipe Notes
WINE MATCH: Go for a Sauvignon Blanc.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use gluten-free rolls or serve in regular bowls with your favourite gluten-free bread on the side. Make sure chicken stock, cornflour and miso paste are gluten-free.
INGREDIENT SWAPS: I like chicken stock best in this chowder; however, you could substitute with vegetable stock or fish stock. You can swap the marinara mix for your favourite seafood (prawns work well).
STORING AND REHEATING: Store chowder separately to bread bowls and salad. Reheat chowder in a saucepan or microwave. Bread bowls can be eaten cold (adding the chowder will warm them up) or reheat in the oven.
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