Soups and Chowders
Soups and chowders can warm the heart as well as the body. As long a fishermen have been fishing the seas, the thought of returning home to homemade soup or chowder made all the hard work worthwhile. Following are some recipes that can be easily adapted to your own taste or twist. Serve any of these with hot crusty bread to guarantee hearty and hungry palates will be satisfied.
Easy Crab Corn Chowder
Ingredients
1 can of crab meat
1 large potato cooked and cubed (you can leave the peel on)
1/2 cup chopped celery
5 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
1 can of chicken broth
2 tbsp. of flour
1/3 cup of chopped red pepper
2 tbsp of butter
1 can (15 oz) of creamed corn
3/4 cup of Half & Half
1/2 cup of chopped green onion
Directions
Put chicken broth, half & half, corn and flour into a blender. Cover and blend. Cook the red pepper, onions and celery in butter until soft. Pour blender contents into a saucepan. Add the cooked vegetables, bacon, potato and crab meat. Stir until well blended. Cook on a low heat until heated through. You don't want it to boil. This is great served with chopped cilantro on top if desired.
Red Clam Chowder
Ingredients
2 cans of minced clams
1 bottle of clam juice
1 cup of water
2 cups of Clamato juice
3 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
1 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of chopped celery
2 cups of diced potatoes
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Pour clam juice and Clamato juice into a large soup pot. Bring to a rolling boil. Add bacon, onion, celery, potatoes, carrots and bay leaf. Cook at a simmer for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Add the clams last and cook until heated through.
Easy Crab Corn Chowder
Ingredients
1 can of crab meat
1 large potato cooked and cubed (you can leave the peel on)
1/2 cup chopped celery
5 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
1 can of chicken broth
2 tbsp. of flour
1/3 cup of chopped red pepper
2 tbsp of butter
1 can (15 oz) of creamed corn
3/4 cup of Half & Half
1/2 cup of chopped green onion
Directions
Put chicken broth, half & half, corn and flour into a blender. Cover and blend. Cook the red pepper, onions and celery in butter until soft. Pour blender contents into a saucepan. Add the cooked vegetables, bacon, potato and crab meat. Stir until well blended. Cook on a low heat until heated through. You don't want it to boil. This is great served with chopped cilantro on top if desired.
Red Clam Chowder
Ingredients
2 cans of minced clams
1 bottle of clam juice
1 cup of water
2 cups of Clamato juice
3 slices of bacon, cooked and diced
1 cup of chopped onion
1 cup of chopped celery
2 cups of diced potatoes
1/2 cup of chopped carrots
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. of thyme
salt and pepper to taste
Directions
Pour clam juice and Clamato juice into a large soup pot. Bring to a rolling boil. Add bacon, onion, celery, potatoes, carrots and bay leaf. Cook at a simmer for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Add the clams last and cook until heated through.
Brazilian Seafood Chowder
Ingredients
3 cod loin fillets cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1/3 cup of lime juice
1 lb. large peeled and deveined shrimp
2 cloves of minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1 cup of finely chopped onion
1 1/2 cups of green and red peppers, finely chopped
3/4 cup of minced green onion
2 large tomatoes, chopped
1 bay leaf
4 cloves of minced garlic
chopped fresh cilantro
2 (8 oz) bottles of clam juice
1 can of chicken broth
1 cup of coconut milk
1/4 tsp. of ground red pepper
Directions
Put cut up fish and shrimp in a large bowl. Add the lime juice, 2 cloves of minced garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Toss it until blended and marinate in the refrigerator for a half an hour. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large Dutch oven. Add peppers, green onions, onions, 4 cloves of minced garlic and bay leaf and cook for about 5-6 minutes stirring occasionally. Turn the heat up to medium high and add tomatoes cooking for another 2 minutes. Pour in clam juice, broth and about a 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro. Bring it to a boil then lower to a simmer for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Puree 1/3 of the vegetable mixture in a blender. Pour it into the pan and repeat with remaining vegetables. Add coconut milk and red pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the fish mixtures and cook until fish is done (3-5 minutes). Top with cilantro.
Spicy Chile Seafood Soup
Ingredients
1 lb of catfish, cod or mahi mahi fillets cut into 1 inch pieces
1 lb of prepared mussels or little neck clams
3 red chile peppers, stemmed and seeded and cut into strips
1 15 oz can of diced tomatoes (pepper and onion flavor is good but you can try others)
olive oil
1 medium white onion cut into 1/4 inch pieces
2 cloves of minced garlic
6 cups of chicken (or fish) broth
pinch tarragon (or epazote if you can find it)
salt and pepper to taste
5 yukon gold potatoes cut into cubes
1/2 cup of chopped fresh cilantro (for garnish)
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the chile peppers and stir fry until they change color slightly. Do not overcook. With a slotted spoon, press the chiles against the side of the pot to leave as much oil as possible. Remove the peppers and transfer to a blender jar. Pour tomatoes with juice also into the blender. Add garlic and onion to the pan with the left over oil. Saute over medium heat until golden (about 5-7 minutes). Transfer cooked onions and garlic into the blender with chiles and tomatoes and process until smooth. Strain the processed tomato mixture back into the pot and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and tarragon (or epazote if you have it) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook until potatoes are tender (usually about 15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the mussels (or clams) and fish. Cook briskly until mussels open up and fish is ready. serve with chopped cilantro garnish and a wedge of lime.