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Bermuda fish chowder
Fish chowder: Bermuda's dark tomato fish soup with sherry peppers and rum
Bermudians call fish chowder their national dish, and every Sunday brunch and Cup Match picnic has a pot of it: a dark, thick soup made from a long-simmered fish-head stock with tomatoes, vegetables and white fish, seasoned at the table with a splash of black rum and sherry peppers sauce (hot peppers steeped in sherry). This recipe contains alcohol in those optional table seasonings; for an alcohol-free bowl, use a few drops of hot pepper sauce and a little molasses instead. The mistake to avoid is a thin, watery stock; the bones must simmer long enough to give body. Ask your fishmonger for heads and frames from white fish, gills removed. Chef's tip: let the finished chowder rest for 30 minutes before serving; it thickens and the flavours deepen.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the stock
- 2 ¼ lb white fish heads and framesgills removed, rinsed
- 2.5 litres water
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
For the chowder
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 onionschopped
- 3 sticks celerychopped
- 2 carrotsdiced
- 1 green pepperdiced
- 3 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 1 ¾ lb chopped tomatoes
- 14 oz potatoesdiced
- 4 sprigs thyme
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 ¾ lb white fish filletssuch as snapper or cod, in chunks
- 1 ½ tsp salt
To season at the table
- 8 tsp black rum (optional)optional; alcohol-free: a little molasses
- 8 dashes sherry peppers sauce (optional)optional; alcohol-free: hot pepper sauce
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Put 2 ¼ lb white fish heads and frames, 2.5 litres water, 2 bay leaves and 1 tsp black peppercorns in a large pot, bring to the boil, skim and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve; you want about 2 litres.
45 minStep 2: Heat 3 tbsp vegetable oil in a large pot and cook 2 onions, 3 sticks celery, 2 carrots, 1 green pepper and 3 cloves garlic over a medium heat for 10 minutes until soft. Stir in 3 tbsp tomato purée for 2 minutes until darkened.
12 minStep 3: Add 1 ¾ lb chopped tomatoes, 14 oz potatoes, 4 sprigs thyme, ¼ tsp ground cloves, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and the stock. Simmer for 25 minutes, until the potatoes are soft and the soup has thickened.
25 minStep 4: Add 1 ¾ lb white fish fillets and simmer 8–10 minutes, until the fish is opaque and flakes. Break some of it up with a spoon to thicken the chowder. Season with 1 ½ tsp salt.
10 minStep 5: Serve hot, passing 8 tsp black rum and 8 dashes sherry peppers sauce at the table so each adult can season their own bowl.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 310 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 20 g
- Fat
- 11 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bermuda fish chowder take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
- What can I use instead of black peppercorns?
- Ground black pepper, a little less than the amount.
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