Quick, Inexpensive And Nutritious Fish Chowder Recipes Are A Crowd Pleaser! In the Northeast, where seafood is abundant, fish chowder recipes are family favorites. From the French, chaudiere, a pot, chowder is usually made with onions, potatoes, a thick milk base and often, clams. However, Americans are innovative cooks and have devised many imaginative takes on the original Northeastern fish chowder. While the staunch Boston cook may look with disdain on these many variations, fish chowder recipes that employ a variety of fish and seafood are nonetheless popular all over America. Here, we take a look at some of these variations which you can put to good use in your kitchen. Beginning with the basic chowder ingredients, you can build on this simple recipe in ways you might never have thought of, resulting in a meal of dreamy, gourmet proportions. No matter how fanciful your fish chowder, the milk base is essential. Begin with a roux of butter and flour, in equal parts. For eight cups of chowder, you'll need about three tablespoons each, of butter and flour. Using a whisk, over low to medium heat, combine the butter and flour until thickened. Slowly, add a quart of milk. You can add more milk later, as the pot fills up. To this mixture, add two large, cooked, diced potatoes. The starch in the potatoes will help to further thicken the soup. Save the potato water and add to the fish chowder recipe mix as needed. Dice a couple of large onions and add to the pot. By now, you've got a neophyte fish chowder. The traditional fish chowder recipe includes a heap of clams. While you could call it a day and serve your chowder just like this, there are so many ways to make this a gourmet, although unconventional chowder. You can brighten up this soup with corn, sliced mushrooms, celery and diced red bell peppers. I can hear the Bostonian gasping for breath at this fish chowder heresy! However, such additions add interest, color and nutrition, while maintaining the integrity of the chaudiere. As for the fish, clams are not the only worthy fish in the chowder. Catfish nuggets, shrimp, scallops, oysters and crawfish add culinary weight and substance. Risking the scorn of the dyed in the wool, Northeastern chowder master, it must be said. Fish chowder recipes, enhanced with a variety of related fish delicacies, can only better the traditional dish. Wouldn't you think that the Northeastern fisherman, returning from a long stint at sea, would be served in a heartier and more satisfying manner, with a fish chowder recipe that's been stuffed silly with an array of fish and seafood treats? He probably hasn't had his quota of veggies fulfilled, while out on the high seas. Surely you'll agree that our more robust version of the original fish chowder recipe is sure to please any crowd of landlubbers! Forgive me, Bostonians, but fish chowder is a work in progress and meant to be reinvented. Summary Fish Chowder recipes are a great way to try a new dish and have the advantage of containing very basic ingredients. Typical recipes include butter, flour, potatoes, onions, and any other vegetables you may wish to include. Throw everything in! Just don't forget the fish. Catfish nuggets or scallops taste great as well as traditional clams. Related Articles Seafood Recipes Potato Soup Recipes Related Sites