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A bowl of hearty seafood chowder with grilled lemon and toasted bread.
Sacha Hirschfeld

Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder

An ode to a childhood Christmas Eve tradition! This rich and indulgent chowder is loaded with plump seafood and intended for special, celebratory occasions.
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Prep Time 13 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 58 minutes
Servings: 8
Course: Soups
Cuisine: Canadian, Nova-Scotian
Calories: 748
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • ½ lb bacon cut into 1" pieces
  • 3 cups leeks trimmed, halved, and sliced
  • 1 cup shallots halved and sliced
  • 1 head of fennel fronds reserved, finely diced
  • ¾ cup celery finely diced
  • ⅔ cup carrots finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • ½ lb red potatoes diced
  • 1 cup dry white wine I use sauvignon blanc
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 cups clam juice 2 bottles
  • 3½ cups fish stock 2 cans
  • 3 cups half + half
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • 1 lb scallops side muscle removed
  • 1 lb shrimp shells removed and deveined
  • ¾ lb white fish I used Halibut
  • 184 g chopped clams 1 small tin

Equipment

  • 1 large Dutch oven or soup pot
  • 1 small pot
  • 1 chefs knife
  • 1 cutting board
  • 1 vegetable peeler
  • 1 can opener
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 soup ladle
  • measuring spoons
  • measuring cups
  • 1 paring knife

Method
 

  1. Rub the butter into the flour. Pour the half + half and heavy cream into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once cream is warm, whisk in butter/flour mix. Turn heat down to low.
  2. Add bacon to a large heavy-bottomed pot over med-high heat. Sauté until it's brown and crispy, stirring occasionally. Remove using a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper towel lined plate or bowl.
  3. Add shallot, leek, celery, carrot, fennel, and garlic to the bacon fat; cook until soft and translucent. Add a little black pepper.
  4. Increase the heat to high, add the wine and reduce.
  5. Add the fish stock and clam juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
  6. Add the potatoes, bacon, thyme, and bay leaf; cook for another 5 minutes.
  7. Add in all seafood and then stir in the warm cream. Simmer for another 10 minutes or until potatoes and seafood are cooked through.
  8. Season to taste. Serve with a sprinkling of fennel fronds and a drizzle of your best extra-virgin olive oil (I used a chili oil).