The Best Fish Chowder Recipe Ever

Welcome to my first recipe on my website. 

I admit, I am a picky eater. My dad once told me I have a “caviar taste” with a “top ramen budget”.  While this is slightly true, for me it is more about flavors. I enjoy creating dishes with what I have available, and when I want to try something new I never follow an exact recipe. I usually morph two, three, or even more recipes while adding flavors that I think I will enjoy. This allows me to create something unique and my own. Plus, I can omit those picky ingredients I know I would not enjoy.

I also love to fish. In the last year it has become an essential part of my life. I work as a waiter at a local fine dining restaurant, and that usually promotes a certain kind of lifestyle. I often work until 11pm, or even later, and then come home to cook for my wonderful girlfriend. Late dinners = late nights. For years those late nights would turn into wasted days as I would not have to be to work until the evening.

Last year this changed when I fished for the first time in close to a decade. I grew up trout fishing in the summers, or going with my dad on kokanee fishing tournaments. However, I also grew up within a mile of beautiful coastline.

Why had I stopped? Because I didn’t realize how accessible great fishing was in my area.

It was silly, I grew up FRESHWATER fishing, even though California coastal streams don’t really have great fishing opportunities because of regulations. Yet, the saltwater was right here.

My brother in law visited town and told us that there was a good run of White Seabass in the bay. We went out to fish and were skunked, but this started off my new life as a fisherman. I looked up everything I could on the local fish. I watched countless videos on fishing off of the rocks (Fishermans Life and Ish With Fish, I thank you for all your videos have taught me.)

I caught my first cod, an 18″ Grassy Rock Cod. It was a beauty, a monster that is still my personal best cod. I brought it home, cleaned it up, and had my first taste of fresh rock cod. I was blown away. Why had I never fished for these?

The Monterey Bay, and surrounding areas had quite a few different species to target. Rock Cod, Cabezon, and Lingcod are all accessible from the rocks. The bay holds monster California Halibut (reports of 40+ pounders were caught this year.) White Seabass chase squid into the bay. Salmon run a various parts of the year. Striped Bass frequent the shoreline for a part of the year, with the average size of 22″ being reported by locals who chase this species. Monterey also holds the records for some of the largest surf perch caught in the state.

While I will occasionally chase some of these other species, I primarily fish for the rock species. Today I share with you my fish chowder recipe.

Print Recipe

Rock Cod Chowder

This recipe turned out even better than I expected. You can substitute and firm fleshed fish into this recipe. When mussels are in season I will post a variation with fish, mussels and crab meat.

Course

Main Dish

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

1 hour

Servings

people

Ingredients

• 1 Small shallot diced
• Half Medium onion diced
• 2 cloves garlic diced
• 1 to 2 (to taste) small red potato diced
• 1 small can Tomato Sauce can
• 1 can Stewed Tomatoes can
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1.5 cups Dry Sherry Wine
• 1/2 cup Heavy Cream
• 2 medium filets Firm Fleshed Fish (I used fresh rock cod)
• Basil as garnish
• 2 Anaheim Chili's 1 for garnish
• 1 loaf Bread for soup

Course Main Dish Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 1 hour Servings people Ingredients 1 Small shallot diced Half Medium onion diced 2 cloves garlic diced 1 to 2 (to taste) small red potato diced 1 small can Tomato Sauce can 1 can Stewed Tomatoes can 2 tbs olive oil 1.5 cups Dry Sherry Wine 1/2 cup Heavy Cream 2 medium filets Firm Fleshed Fish (I used fresh rock cod) Basil as garnish 2 Anaheim Chili's 1 for garnish 1 loaf Bread for soup

Instructions

1. Saute and sweat onion, garlic, shallot, and potato. Cook until fragrant and onion is translucent.
2. Add tomato sauce, stewed tomatoes, sherry, and chillies. I like my food on the spicy side, so the number of these you add can be to preference. At least 1 for flavor (de-seed if you want to limit spice).
3. Bring to a boil and then bring down to a simmer. Cook for about 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender. You will have to cook for longer if your potato was cut into larger pieces.
4. Add cream and keep at a simmer. Make sure to stir in cream immediately, and well, so it does not curdle.
5. When soup reaches a simmer you can add your seafood. In my recipe I added fresh rock cod. You can also add crab, mussels, clams, etc. Add in, cover, and simmer until cooked. For smaller pieces of cod this was about 5-7 minutes.
6. Serve hot and with bread.