Description
A creamy seafood chowder loaded with fish, mussels, and prawns, topped with crispy squid for the ultimate cozy coastal comfort food
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 tubes calamari (or rings)
- 8-10 whole baby squid (fried crispy for topping)
- 1 bag prawns (about 1 lb/450 g, peeled and cleaned)
- 1 lb (450 g) black mussels, cleaned
- 2 fillets white fish (cod, haddock, or halibut)
- 2 fillets salmon
- 2 cans clams (with juice)
- 1 small can diced tomatoes
- 1 can clam chowder soup
- 1 can mushroom soup
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes (or more if you like a kick)
- Black pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for cooking
Instructions
- Defrost the 2 fillets of white fish and 2 fillets of salmon, lay them on a baking sheet, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, and bake at 375°F (190°C) for about 15 minutes.
- Let them cool completely, then pop them into the fridge until later.
- In a large heavy pot, pour in 1 can of clam chowder, 1 can of mushroom soup, and 1 small can of diced tomatoes. Warm gently over medium heat.
- In a separate pan, heat a splash of olive oil, then sauté the 1 chopped onion, 2 diced celery stalks, and 2 diced carrots until the onion softens and smells sweet.
- Stir in ½ tsp chili flakes, then tip everything into the soup pot.
- Once the soup is gently simmering, toss in the 4 tubes of calamari (or rings).
- Lower the heat and let them cook slowly until tender, about 15 minutes. Don’t forget to stir so nothing sticks.
- If you’re prepping ahead, take the pot off the heat once the calamari are tender, let it cool, and refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
- When it’s showtime, reheat the chowder slowly over low heat.
- Add the baked fish (cut into bite-size pieces), 1 lb of mussels, 2 cans of clams with juice, and 1 bag of prawns.
- Let everything simmer just until the mussels open and the prawns turn pink.
- Grind in plenty of black pepper and taste to adjust heat or salt.
- While the chowder finishes, fry the 8–10 whole baby squid in a little hot olive oil until golden and crispy.
- Ladle the chowder into warm bowls, top with the crispy squid, and serve with crusty baguette slices for dunking.
Notes
Created, prepared, tried, and tested by Renee Matthee
