Caribbean Fish Chowder
This recipe is based on an idea from a reader’s request in the June 2006 edition of Gourmet magazine. Gourmet itself said the recipe was adapted from the Caribbean Bouillabaisse served at Passionfish Restaurant in Pacific Grove, California. I find that I prefer to take flavor combination ideas from magazines etc and then use a variation of my own proven recipe for the dish. So I combined my whitefish chowder, Neptune stew and shrimp and crab bisque to create this soup, which I would call more of a Caribbean Chowder. I tend to do a similar base for a lot of my soups which gives a creamy background without cream and my son can’t see the onions which have been puréed. Sneaky mother.
Note that original recipe called for a lot of salt (and shrimp etc tend to be salty due to salt water and frequently being frozen in a brine solution to increase the weight), fennel seeds, hot sauce and Pernod as well as mussels (I can’t eat mussels and clams). I chose fish I liked and we found that just the touch of the smoky paprika gave the soup the nice hint of heat without being overpowering. This is very mild and creamy and packed full of wonderful fish. I naturally cook low salt so salt addicts might need more salt.
One of my August 2011 recipes for National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, now Beyond Celiac.
I large onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 tbsp (30ml) olive oil or butter
2-4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely crushed
1 lb (500g) tomatoes peeled -really fresh and ripe otherwise can of tomatoes
2-3 roasted red peppers, peeled, deseeded and roughly chopped -don’t cut back on peppers and choose large rather than small peppers. I haven’t tried this with jars of peppers since I’ve become addicted to freshly roasted red peppers and will roast a bag a week.
1 x 8 oz (250g) tomato sauce
1 c (250 ml) water
¼ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp (5 ml) smoked sweet paprika (I use Penzeys’s brand available by mail order. It has a definite smoky flavor compared to most paprikas, don’t waste your time with Szego brand available everywhere)
grating of fresh nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
14 oz (15 or 16 oz can is fine, 400+g) can of unsweetened coconut milk - don’t buy the coconut milk you would buy for Piňa Colada it has far too much sugar - buy Chaokoh or other Asian brand that has minute quantity of sugar in comparison to sugar in Piňa Colada type coconut milk. Don’t use a ‘lite’ coconut milk, you’ll be disappointed in finished product.
1 tsp (5ml) rum - optional - for gluten free I only use original rum, not flavored.
8 oz (250 g) boneless skinless mahi mahi (or salmon) fillets cut into small cubes. (vacuum packed and frozen at Costco.)
3 large scallops cut into 1/8th’s - cut scallops into two circles, then ¼’d - about 1/3 lb, 150g.
4-8oz (125-250g) lump crabmeat (deli section at Costco’s) do buy good crabmeat, the cheap cans don’t give enough flavor or texture for this chowder.
about 12 x 25-30/lb, 12 x 25 to 30/ 500g (roughly ½ lb, 250 g) peeled raw shrimp, thawed if frozen, well rinsed and drained.
1. Gently heat oil in a 12+cup (3 ltr) pan. Add onions and garlic, cook covered over gentle heat until onions are softening - at least 5 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, water and roasted red peppers and continue to cook covered over gentle heat for about 10 more minutes. You have to make sure that the onions are really soft and totally cooked otherwise they won’t purée to a smooth sauce.
3. Add thyme, nutmeg, salt and pepper and paprika. Purée contents of the pan in the pan with an immersion blender (aka stick blender). You can also use a blender or food processor, I just find immersion blender is quicker and makes less dirty equipment to wash.
4. Add coconut milk and rum and gently heat until liquid is bubbling gently at the edges.
5. Add mahi mahi, scallops and shrimp (or other raw fish of your choice.) Bring soup back to a very gentle simmer and cook for about 3 minutes.
6. Turn off heat, add crab, stir well and allow soup to sit for about 5 minutes until all fish is cooked through but not tough because of gentle heat. Taste and adjust seasoning and serve.
