Summer Corn and Tilapia Chowder

You don’t have to be in New England to enjoy a little summer chowder! T came across this recipe on the Epicurious iPhone ap (while laying in bed on a Sunday morning). It seemed simple enough, so we thought we’d give it a try! I always thought chowder was really difficult to make, but as it turns out, it’s very easy. Put some stuff in a pot, let it simmer. Add some more stuff to the pot, let it simmer a little longer. Add a few more things to the pot, let it simmer some more, then serve!Now, I like seafood just as much as the next person, but I’m always a little fearful of “that fishy taste”. (You know what I’m talking about.) Sometimes seafood just gets that “fishy” flavour, and it turns you off. This chowder is not one of those dishes. It’s a perfect balance of fish, potato, and corn. And the fact that it doesn’t use copious amounts of cream or 1/2 & 1/2 means that it’s lighter in calories, too!

INGREDIENTS

4 slices bacon (I recommend Hormel Black Label)
1 spring onion, thinly sliced, green parts separate
1-2 cloves garlic, finely chopped garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2″ cubes
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 cups 2% percent milk* (or sub with 5oz evaporated milk, 3 oz water, and 1 cup milk)
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound tilapia** (or cod or haddock) skin removed, cut into 1/2″ chunks
kernels from two fresh cobs of corn (or about 1- 1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels)
1/4 cup half-and-half

PREPARATION
In a large saucepan, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, 6 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; allow to cool, then crumble.
In same pan, sauté onion whites for 2 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add flour; cook, stirring frequently, 2 minutes. Stir in potatoes, milk, broth, thyme, salt and pepper; bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 10 minutes.
While chowder simmers, carefully cut corn kernels from cob (if using fresh).
Then…
Stir in fish, corn and bacon; simmer 5 minutes.
Stir in half-and-half and onion greens; simmer 2 minutes.
Ladle into bowls and serve with a side of crusty bread!

Chef’s notes:
*I used evaporated milk because I had some leftover from making mashed potatoes the night before. Feel free to use any combo of broth, milk, or evaporated milk that you like– as long as the liquid equals 4 cups.
**Original recipe called for cod. I purchased tilapia because it was – surprisingly cheaper. Any white fish will work. I think the tilapia held up (didn’t flake apart) better than the cod would have.

Adapted from Epicurious.com

By: theCrackerBoxKitchenFiled under Lunch and Dinner. Tagged corn chowder, crusty bread, fish chowder, low sodium chicken broth, yukon gold potatoes. Bookmark the permalink. 1 Comment

Summer Corn and Tilapia Chowder

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