Fish Chowder with White Beans

Can you think of a more comforting soup than chowder?  I personally prefer creamy chowders to the tomato based ones, but no matter what you like, they are at the top of the list when you are in the mood for something hearty and soothing.

Today I am cooking a chowder of my own, which I once whipped up on a whim on a cold afternoon.  It came out quite good,  and I wrote it down as it was still fresh in my memory, but didn’t take any pictures back then.

Having tried it twice with different fish, I have to say that grouper would be preferable here, as it’s heartier and has a lot more body to it.  Cod worked OK for me this time around, but left some to be desired.   Be careful to not over-salt the soup, as it tends to get saltier as it cools down.

Here is the What and How, for this batch:

Fish Chowder with White Beans

• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1/2 orange or yellow bell pepper, chopped
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/3 cup flour
• 6 cups water
• 1 cup milk
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp coriander seed, crushed
• 1 can white kidney beans (yeah, you heard me, no potatoes!)
• 3  cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lbs grouper fillet, cubed 1″. White fleshed “meaty” fish of any kind will work, but grouper is just better.
• salt,  fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/2 cup cream or half and half
• finely chopped parsley

Melt butter in a dutch oven.
Saute chopped vegetables slowly, until soft and translucent, for about 5-7 minutes.
Add flour, saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, until lightly browned. Take care not to brown too much or burn.
Add water and stir well for a few minutes, until smooth and no lumps
Bring to a boil, add beans, thyme, bay leaf, coriander, garlic and milk
Add salt and pepper to taste
Simmer for about 15 minutes covered, so that all the flavors blend well
Add grouper chunks, simmer for another 15 minutes.
Add cream, warm through and simmer for a couple of minutes.
Add parsley just before serving and stir.
Turn off the heat and let sit on the stove for a few minutes