Description
This easy seafood chowder is a comforting and creamy dish packed with tender potatoes, sweetcorn, and flavorful prawns or smoked fish. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, it combines fresh ingredients with a velvety broth enhanced by lemon zest and parsley. Serve it with crusty bread for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables & Herbs
- 1 small potato (about 150g), cut into 2cm cubes
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 75g fresh or frozen sweetcorn or peas (or use a mixture)
- 1 small lemon, zested and juiced
- ½ tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley, plus extra to serve (optional)
Liquids & Dairy
- ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp plain flour
- 200ml semi-skimmed or whole milk
- 100ml vegetable or fish stock
Seafood
- 80g frozen prawns or smoked fish
Additional
- Crusty bread, to serve (optional)
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook Potatoes: Tip the cubed potatoes into a small saucepan, cover with cold salted water, and bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes until just softened. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook the finely chopped celery and shallot for 3 minutes until softened. Add grated garlic and fry for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make Roux and Sauce: Stir in the plain flour and cook for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, then slowly pour in the milk while whisking to form a thick sauce. Stir in the vegetable or fish stock and simmer for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Combine Ingredients: Add the fish, sweetcorn or peas, and cooked potatoes to the saucepan. Simmer for 4-5 minutes until the vegetables are defrosted (if frozen) and the seafood is cooked through.
- Finish Chowder: When the chowder has a creamy consistency that coats the back of a spoon, stir in the lemon zest and juice. Add up to 50ml water if the chowder is too thick. Season with salt, black pepper, and chopped parsley to taste.
- Serve: Ladle the chowder into bowls, garnish with extra parsley and black pepper, and serve with crusty bread if desired.
Notes
- You can substitute frozen prawns with smoked fish or any firm white fish.
- Adjust the thickness of the chowder by adding more or less water.
- For a dairy-free version, use a plant-based milk and vegetable stock.
- Adding a pinch of smoked paprika or cayenne pepper can introduce a subtle smoky heat.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: seafood chowder, easy chowder recipe, creamy seafood soup, quick dinner, prawns chowder, smoked fish chowder
