Scallop Chowder
This chowder recipe is featured in Nova Scotia Cookery, Then & Now – a cookbook showcasing modern interpretations of heritage Nova Scotia recipes.
“The old recipe has a base, and you know from experience it works. Salt pork was readily available and provided salt. I’ve added bacon, garlic, and chili pepper to give it a twist.”
Chris Veldon, The Flying Apron Inn and Cookery
Ingredients
| 2 tsp (10 ml) | olive oil |
| 2 | slices of bacon, chopped |
| 1 | small onion, diced |
| 1 | small carrot, diced |
| 1 | rib celery, diced |
| 2 | cloves garlic, minced |
| 2 cups (5000ml) | chicken broth or fish stock |
| 1 cup (250ml) | potatoes, peeled and diced |
| pinch | cayenne pepper |
| to taste | black pepper |
| 1 cup (250 ml) | whipping cream |
| 1 |
red chili pepper, diced
|
| 1 tsp (5 ml) | lemon zest |
| to taste | salt |
| 1 lb (450 g) | bay or other sustainable scallops |
| 2 tbsp (30 ml) | chopped fresh tarragon or dill |
Directions
- Heat olive oil in pot over medium heat. Add bacon, cook until fat renders and bacon is slightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion to bacon, stir until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. stir in carrot, celery, and garlic, cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour chicken broth, potato, cayenne pepper, and black pepper into bacon mixture. Reduce heat to medium low, simmer 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are almost tender.
- Stir in cream and chili pepper, simmer about 5 minutes or until potatoes are completely tender. Season with lemon zest and salt.
- Stir scallops into chowder, cook over medium heat until scallops are tender and white.
- Remove from heat, stir in herbs. Serve.
Local Source Guide
Bacon: Meadowbrook Meat Market or The Pork Shop.
Local Produce: Noggins Corner Farm Market, Stirling Fruit Farms, Masstown Market or one of the many other Farmers’ Markets of Nova Scotia.
Local Seafood: Evan’s Seafood & Restaurant, Arichat Seafood Market, Clearwater Seafoods Ltd. or Fishermen’s Market
Recipe provided by: Chris Veldon, The Flying Apron Inn and Cookery
For more heritage recipes: Nova Scotia Public Archives Recipe Collection
Nova Scotia Cookery, Then & Now is presented by: Select Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Public Archives