This simple whitefish chowder will be a go-to recipe for those cool days on the Great Lakes. Made with ingredients that you may already have on hand. The recipe can be doubled for large families or as a party dish.
Whitefish Chowder Ingredients
- 4 slices smoked bacon diced up
- 1 ½ cups Vidalia or Sweet Onion diced
- One stalk celery diced fine
- 1 ½ cups Bar Harbor Clam Juice
- 4 cups diced potatoes
- 1 ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 cups whole milk or half and half
- 1 or 2 whitefish fillet(s), skinless in bite-size pieces
- 1 ½ sticks butter
- 2 tablespoons Wondra flour
- 1/2 cup dry vermouth or Holland House Cooking Sherry
- Olive Oil
Time needed: 30 minutes.
Step by Step Guide for Great Lakes Whitefish Chowder
- Prepare the onion and celery
Coat the bottom of a large pot with about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook bacon pieces over medium-high heat until almost crisp; add onion, celery, and continue cooking until the onion is soft and translucent but not brown about 5 minutes or less. Add the Holland House Cooking Sherry and cook for about another minute.
- Prep broth and potatoes
Stir in water, ½ of the clam broth and potatoes, and season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay Seasoning. (a key ingredient.) Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered keeping at a low boil for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork-tender.
- Simmer and add whitefish chunks
Lower heat to medium. Pour in milk and add ½ stick butter. Add the bitesize whitefish chunks and the other ½ of the Bar Harbor Clam Juice. Carefully stir the soup to mix. Simmer for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Taste and season again if needed. Do not allow to boil.
- Make a roux and add to thicken
In a small pan, melt a stick of butter and with a stout whisk, add Wondra flour, and a bit more oil to make a roux. Whisk into the pot enough of the roux to thicken the soup and create a true chowder. Serve in warm bowls with chopped fresh parsley.
Key Ingredients Used in our Whitefish Chowder Recipe
These ingredients are key to this flavorful chowder. If you don’t have then in your pantry, consider ordering then online at the links below. We will get a small commission that helps to offset the cost of this site.
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