Quick Fish Chowder with Hot Butter Crackers Recipe
This quick fish chowder is a comforting and flavorful seafood soup made with tender cod, aromatic fennel, and creamy potatoes, simmered in a clam juice broth. Served with spicy hot butter crackers, this cozy dish is perfect for an easy weeknight meal or a satisfying lunch.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Chowder Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large fennel bulb with some green stems (about 12 ounces), trimmed and sliced (about 4 cups)
- 12 ounces Yukon Gold potatoes (2 to 3), thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 large shallot (4 ounces), thinly sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice
- 2 cups water
- 1 pound boneless, skinless cod fillet (or flounder or halibut), cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup half-and-half
Hot Butter Crackers
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 ½ teaspoons hot or smoked paprika
- 12 to 15 saltine crackers
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the chowder base: Melt 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Once the butter is foamy, add the sliced fennel, thin rounds of Yukon Gold potatoes, shallot, and garlic. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook while stirring occasionally until the fennel and shallots are slightly translucent and softened, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Simmer with clam juice: Add the 8-ounce bottle of clam juice along with 2 cups of water to the pot and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to low, and let it simmer gently until the potatoes become tender, approximately 10 minutes.
- Prepare hot butter crackers: While the chowder simmers, melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, swirl in 1 ½ teaspoons of hot or smoked paprika and then turn off the heat. Lightly crush 12 to 15 saltine crackers into small bite-sized pieces directly into the saucepan, tossing them to coat well with the flavored butter. Season lightly with kosher salt and set aside.
- Cook the fish and finish chowder: When the potatoes are tender, stir the cut cod pieces and ¼ cup half-and-half into the pot. Raise the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer until the cod is cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and season generously with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
- Serve: Ladle the hot chowder into bowls and top each serving generously with the seasoned hot butter crackers for a flavorful crunch.
Notes
- You can substitute cod with other firm white fish like halibut or flounder for this chowder.
- If you prefer a thicker chowder, lightly mash some of the potatoes in the pot before adding the fish.
- Adjust the amount of paprika in the crackers to control the heat level to your preference.
- Use low-sodium clam juice if you want to reduce the saltiness of the chowder.
- The chowder can be reheated gently on the stovetop; add a splash of water or half-and-half if it thickens too much.
Keywords: fish chowder, cod chowder, seafood soup, quick chowder, fennel soup, Yukon Gold potatoes chowder, clam juice soup, hot butter crackers
