Jeanne Sekse’s Norwegian Fish Chowder
Thank you, Jeanne, for sharing the recipe.
by: Three Many Cooks
Serves: a hearty 8
Ingredients
- 1 cup each: milk and water
- 1½ pounds potatoes (I used Yukon Golds), peeled and, depending on size, halved or quartered lengthwise and sliced ¼-inch thick
- Salt
- 1 cup each: dry white wine and water
- 5 to 7 large dill sprigs, plus extra leaves and/or minced for garnish
- ½ lemon
- 1 pound sea scallops, halved crosswise
- 1 pound firm white-fleshed cod or halibut
- 1 pound boneless, skinless salmon
- 2 pounds (31 to 40 count) cooked shrimp, tails removed
- 8 ounces pasteurized lump crabmeat
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 medium onion, cut into small dice (about 1 cup)
- 1 pound domestic white or baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- ¼ cup dry sherry
- ¼ cup flour
- 1 quart light cream
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Bring milk and water, potatoes, and a generous sprinkling of salt to boil in a large, wide pot over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer partially covered, until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain, transferring potatoes to a large bowl and reserving milk mixture. Rinse out pot and return to stove.
- Add wine, water and dill to pot over low heat. Squeeze in lemon juice, tossing in the shell. Add scallops; cover and gently poach until just cooked, about 5 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to bowl with potatoes. Add fish; cover and gently poach until just cooked, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to bowl with scallops. Add shrimp and crab to bowl as well. Strain poaching liquid and reserve. Rinse out pot and return to stove.
- Add butter to pan and melt over medium heat. Add onion; sauté until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high; add mushrooms and sauté until their liquid has completely evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes. Add sherry; cook until evaporated, about a minute. Add flour; whisk until smooth. Whisk in cream, seasoning with nutmeg and pepper. (Can be made and left at room temperature up to 2 hours)
- When ready to serve, add seafood and potatoes to pot and very slowly heat chowder, adding poaching liquid to desired thickness. Adjust seasonings. Ladle into bowls, garnishing with chopped dill.
I love the big scallops in there!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I want to make it Right Now! for my parents. But they are in MI and I am in AL, so it will have to wait for Xmas when I visit. It will make a superb Xmas Eve meal.
Wow, this looks like it is packed with flavor!
Oh baby, I want a big bowl of this for lunch today!!
Mmm, this looks packed full of great stuff! I especially love the giant scallops; those are one of my favorite things to order at seafood places.
With all that seafood, this chowder is bound to be fantastic!
I absolutely love seafood, and I love chowder. That looks so delicious!
What do you do with the reserved milk/water that the potatoes were cooked in? I see that the reserved poaching liquid is added to get desired thickness, but I don’t see anything about the water/milk….or do you reserve the poaching liquid in with that?
Good question, Maria. It’s been awhile since I’ve made this recipe, so I don’t remember if you need the extra potato cooking liquid or not. If you make the recipe, hang on to it until you’ve served the soup. That way if there’s not enough poaching liquid to thin the cream, you’ve still got the potato liquid. BTW I’m glad you reminded me of this recipe. I’m adding it to my list of things to make very soon.