6 Chowder Tips from Local Chefs

We all know the best chowder is made with Nova Scotia seafood. Add in local milk, local vegetables and pair it with a Nova Scotia wine or beer and you have a perfect chowder experience. If you’re looking for a few tips to make you’re chowder even more delicious, or gluten free, check out these great tips from Taste of Nova Scotia chefs:

Gluten Free Family Recipe

“Seafood chowder has been on the menu at Lane’s since 1962 and although the recipe has changed over the years one unique thing is that we don’t use flour in our recipe.  Potatoes act as a natural thickener so those sensitive to gluten are delighted to enjoy our chowder.” – Susan Lane, Lane’s Privateer Inn

Bacon

“Why put bacon in chowder? Fry up your onions in the bacon, use that instead of butter to give your chowder a smokey flavour,” says Margie Lamb of Meadowbrook Meat Market. “Also, use local farmers’ cream, use local seafood and veggies. We have everything you need for a good chowder in Nova Scotia – absolutely. Yum yum!”

Real Cream

“Use real cream, don’t be afraid of butter and finish with fresh herbs.” – Chef Mark Gabrieau, Gabrieau’s Bistro.

Adding Seafood + Sweat Your Veggies

“Two of the most important things when making chowder: One, sweat your vegetables. The juices and oils extracted from sweating create layers of flavours,” says Chef Jamie MacDougall. “Two, addition of seafood should be at different times as to the cooking times, this will allow the seafood to be all be ready at same time. Depending on the seafood being used, first fish would be shrimp as they are the most dense followed by scallops, then haddock, mussels and or clams and lastly lobster.”

Chef Alan Crosby, White Point Beach Resort

Bacon + Potatoes

“If you’re using bacon in your chowder…don’t drain the fat, use this for the roux. Another tip would be to cook your potatoes for the chowder in a very small amount of water, then use this water in the chowder as a thickener to create a gluten free version.” – Chef Alan Crosby, White Point Beach Resort.

Gluten Free

“My first tip…Keep your chowder recipe a secret! Just joking! My tip is that I have started thickening my chowder with rice instead of flour. This has a much better mouth feel and it is gluten free. It’s a traditional Bisque method. Thickening with Rice and Cream.” –  Chef Ray Bear

 *These tips were compiled and shared during Taste of Nova Scotia #ChowderWeek. This was originally posted in 2015.

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