Smoked Haddock and Prawn Chowder with added sweetcorn is a great one pot meal and definitely so much more than just a 'fish soup'. With fish, potato and vegetables all in the one dish, a fish chowder is a delicious thick creamy and filling dish and it's ready in just 30 minutes. Serve it with fresh crusty bread, a sprinkling of fresh parsley and some black pepper.
Chowders are particularly satisfying and great comfort food during the colder months. You might also like Cullen Skink, a traditional Scottish smoked fish soup.
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Recipe Tips and Variations
- I've used fresh corn on the cob in this prawn chowder as it's in season in autumn and winter and fresh and juicy. You can of course use frozen or tinned or canned sweetcorn. Drain and rinse tinned sweetcorn before adding it to your chowder. The sweetness of the corn goes really nicely with the sweetness of the prawns.
- Smoked haddock is a common fish to use in a chowder, but you could use other smoked fish. Smoked Basa for example works just as well and is often cheaper. Try to always use fish that has been caught sustainably.
- You need to be careful to let your chowder simmer and not boil. Boiling may cause the milk to split and the texture may become slightly grainy.
- Before adding the fish, you can blend as much of the soup as you like. Some people like to make their chowder as thick as possible and blend all the vegetables. Others prefer to leave some of the vegetables as chunks to vary the texture. It's entirely up to you.
- A smoked fish chowder is a meal in itself, but it is delicious served with some fresh crusty bread to mop up every last bit of the soup.
How to make it
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- Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the onions for 2 - 3 minutes over a medium heat, then add the leek and cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes until it starts to soften.
- Add the milk and fish stock and bring to a simmer.
- Put a clean tea towel over a chopping board and scrunch up the edges to catch the corn. Hold a cob upright and run a knife gently down to the base of the kernels all the way round. Repeat with the other cobs then lift the tea towel up and tip the corn into the pan. Alternatively, add the frozen or canned sweetcorn (drained).
- Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes until the potato softens. Be careful not to let the milk boil or it may curdle.
- If you want to mash or blend some of the chowder, do it now before adding the fish. Blending or mashing will help thicken up the chowder. Some people like to blend all of it, others prefer to keep some chunks of vegetables. Cut the skinned and boned haddock into bite sized pieces, add to the pan and cook gently for 2 minutes.
- Add the prawns, lemon juice and season with black pepper. Cook for a further 1 minute then stir in the parsley and serve with bread rolls or crusty brown bread.
Sustainability
When shopping for fish, look for the Marine Stewardship Council logo. This label tells us that the fish has been sourced responsibly. The Marine Stewardship Council constantly monitors fish stocks in an effort to help preserve fish stocks for future generations. The Good Fish Guide will give you the latest information on fish stocks. If you can't find sustainably fished prawns in your local supermarket, there are various on line retailers who sell them. Potatoes, leeks and sweetcorn are in season in Autumn and Winter so you may be able to buy locally sourced produce during these months.
As always, try to buy vegetables loose without any plastic. If you need to, you can take your own re-usable bags for vegetables to the shop. Buying from local sources will reduce the carbon footprint as well as help support your local economy.
Storage
A fish chowder will store in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. You should put it into the fridge within two hours of cooking. You can also freeze chowder for up to 6 months. To freeze it, allow it to cool right down by putting it in the fridge then place it in a freezer bag, leaving space at the top to allow the soup to expand. As it contains milk, it is best re-heated from frozen. Keep stirring it so the milk doesn't separate.
📖 Recipe
Smoked Haddock & Prawn Chowder with Sweetcorn
Ingredients
- 25 g butter organic
- 1 onions organic, peeled and diced
- 2 leeks organic, trimmed and sliced
- 600 ml milk organic
- 300 ml fish stock organic
- 200 g sweetcorn, or 2 corn on the cob organic, drained weight
- 400 g potato organic, peeled and diced in 2cm cubes
- 1 dash salt
- 1 dash black pepper organic, fairtrade, freshly ground
- 600 g smoked haddock skinned, bones removed MSC certified
- 200 g peeled prawns cooked, MSC certified
- 1 lemons organic, fairtrade, juice of
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley organic, chopped
- 4 bread rolls organic, to serve, optional
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a large pan and fry the onions for 2 - 3 minutes over a medium heat, then add the leek and cook for a further 2 - 3 minutes until it starts to soften.
- Add the milk and fish stock and bring to a simmer.
- Put a clean tea towel over a chopping board and scrunch up the edges to catch the corn. Hold a cob upright and run a knife gently down to the base of the kernels all the way round. Repeat with the other cobs then lift the tea towel up and tip the corn into the pan.
- Add the potatoes, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 8 - 10 minutes until the potato softens. Be careful not to let the milk boil or it may curdle.
- If you want to mash or blend some of the chowder, do it now before adding the fish. Cut the haddock into bite sized chunks, add to the pan and cook gently for 2 minutes.
- Add the prawns, lemon juice and season with black pepper. Cook for a further 1 minute then stir in the parsley and serve with bread rolls or crusty brown bread.
Notes
Tips
- Use fresh sweetcorn in season or frozen or tinned or canned sweetcorn. Drain and rinse tinned sweetcorn before adding it to your chowder.
- Smoked haddock is a common fish to use in a chowder, but you could use other smoked fish. Smoked Basa for example works just as well and is often cheaper.
- Be careful to let your chowder simmer and not boil. Boiling may cause the milk to split and the texture may become slightly grainy.
- Before adding the fish, you can blend as much of the soup as you like. Some people like to make their chowder as thick as possible and blend all the vegetables. Others prefer to leave some of the vegetables as chunks to vary the texture.
- A smoked fish chowder is a meal in itself, but it is delicious served with some fresh crusty bread to mop up every last bit of the soup.
Storage
Smoked Haddock and Prawn Chowder will store in the fridge for 3 - 4 days. Place in the fridge within two hours of cooking. Freeze for up to 6 months. Leave to cool before placing in freezer bag. Leaving space at the top to allow the soup to expand. As it contains milk, it is best re-heated from frozen. Keep stirring it so the milk doesn't separate.Nutrition per serving
The Nutritional Values are computer generated estimates based on industry standards and are provided as a helpful guide only.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!