Pescatarian Chowder
A creamy, one-pot seafood chowder with white fish, prawns and smoked salmon—comforting, quick and perfect for a midweek supper.
This Pescatarian Chowder is the sort of bowl that makes you believe comfort food can also be light and lovely. It’s creamy without being gloopy, brimming with flaky white fish, sweet prawns and a kiss of smoked salmon for depth.
Perfect for a midweek supper or when you want something soul-warming after a blustery walk. It’s a one-pot midweek winner that comes together in under an hour and behaves beautifully for leftovers.
Ingredients
- 400 g white fish fillets — firm white fish such as cod or haddock, skin removed and cut into 3cm pieces
- 200 g raw peeled king prawns — large, thawed if frozen
- 100 g smoked salmon — sliced into ribbons
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 15 ml olive oil
- 1 brown onion — finely diced
- 1 leek — white and pale green parts only, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
- 2 carrots — peeled and diced about 1cm
- 2 celery stalks — diced
- 25 g plain flour
- 400 g potatoes — peeled and cut into 2cm dice
- 800 ml fish stock — homemade or made from a low-salt fish stock cube
- 1 bay leaf
- 120 ml double cream
- 150 ml milk — semi-skimmed or whole
- 15 g fresh dill — roughly chopped
- 1 lemon — zest and juice
- 5 ml smoked paprika
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Instructions
Prepare the produce and fish: peel and dice the potatoes; finely dice the brown onion; slice the leek; peel and dice the carrots and celery; slice or crush the garlic; zest the lemon and reserve the juice; roughly chop the fresh dill. Pat the white fish fillets dry and cut into 3cm chunks, checking for and removing any bones.
Warm a large heavy-based pan over a medium hob and add the unsalted butter and olive oil. When the butter foams, add the brown onion, leek, carrots and celery and sweat gently for 6–8 minutes until softened and translucent.
Add the garlic and smoked paprika, stir for 30 seconds, then sprinkle over the plain flour and stir continuously for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
Slowly pour in the fish stock while stirring to form a smooth base. Add the potatoes and bay leaf, bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.
Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and add the white fish fillets and raw peeled king prawns, nestling the smoked salmon ribbons on top. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes until the fish flakes easily and the prawns are opaque.
Stir in the double cream and milk, add the lemon zest and about half the chopped dill, and warm through gently for 2 minutes. Season with sea salt and black pepper to taste and add a squeeze of lemon juice if desired. Remove and discard the bay leaf.
Ladle the chowder into warmed bowls, finish with the remaining fresh dill and a light drizzle of olive oil. Serve immediately.
Tips
- If the chowder is too thin at the end, mix 10–15g plain flour with a little cold milk to make a slurry and whisk into the simmering soup, cooking for 1–2 minutes to thicken.
- Do the veg prep in advance and store in the fridge for up to 24 hours to cut evening cooking time.
- Use sustainably sourced fish and prawns. Fresh fish is best, but frozen thawed fillets are fine — pat them dry before cutting so the pieces hold shape.
- If you prefer a smokier finish, add a small piece (50g) of smoked haddock with the stock and remove any bones before adding the white fish.
- Reheat gently on a low hob; high heat will split the cream and overcook the seafood.
Substitutions
white fish fillets → use smoked haddock (200g) plus firm white fish 200g for a smokier chowder
Stays closedouble cream → single cream 200ml (adds a lighter texture but less richness)
Noticeably differentraw peeled king prawns → mussels (400g in shells, cooked until they open) — add with the fish and discard any unopened shells
Noticeably differentplain flour → cornflour 1 tbsp mixed with cold water (use to thicken at the end)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 530
- Calories
- 42 g
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 5 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 800 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — omit the plain flour and thicken with a cornflour slurry (1 tbsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water) added at the end, or use a gluten-free plain flour in the same quantity.
Can I freeze the chowder?
Freeze without the double cream for best texture; add the cream when reheating. Freezes well for up to 2 months. Reheat gently from frozen on a low hob.
How do I avoid overcooking the fish?
Reduce to a gentle simmer before adding the fish and prawns. Cook just until the fish flakes and prawns turn opaque — usually 5–7 minutes — then remove from the heat.
Can I make this ahead?
You can make the base (steps 2–4) up to 24 hours ahead, refrigerate, then add the seafood, cream and dill when reheating.
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