Easy Fish Chowder (Walleye)
By Jeff Benda
Instagram: @wildgameandfish
Website: www.wildgameandfish.com
Serves: 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Total time: 55 minutes
I love making this fish chowder because it’s delicious but easy to make all in one pot! It’s chock full of juicy walleye, salty bacon, buttery potatoes, sweet corn, and aromatic onions and garlic enveloped in a creamy herb-studded broth. This soup recipe comes together quickly and reheats well for lunch leftovers the next day.
I sometimes add a few peeled & deveined shrimp for my wife when adding the fish. Then she eats more of the shrimp, and I get more of the walleye with every bite! I also have friends who like to add a few drops of Tabasco sauce, but I always serve it on the side so the chowder isn’t too spicy for our 9-year-old daughter.
I used walleye for this dish, but you could use whatever fish you have available such as perch or crappie.
Ingredients
- 4 strips of bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 stalks celery, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
- 6 baby carrots, chopped into 1/4-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into 1/2-inch cubes
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon dried dill weed
- 1/4 teaspoon marjoram
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 15-ounce can seafood stock
- 1 15-ounce can whole kernel sweet corn
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 cup water
- 8 ounces boneless, skinless walleye fillets
- 1/4 cup half and half
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 diced green onions (optional)
- 1 diced jalapeno (optional)
- oyster crackers
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes until brown and crispy. Remove the bacon and transfer to a plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the bacon grease in the Dutch oven. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Sauté over medium-high heat until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic, potatoes, pepper, dill, marjoram, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and sauté for about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the flour the other 1 tablespoon of flour and cook 1 more minute.
- Add the seafood stock and deglaze the pan by scraping up any pieces stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add canned corn with liquid, chicken bouillon, and water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Simmer uncovered and stirring often, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Chop the walleye fillets into 1-inch pieces and sprinkle with the other 1/4 teaspoon salt.
- Once the potatoes are tender, whisk the half and half with the cornstarch until completely smooth, then stir it into the chowder.
- Add the walleye and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and season with additional salt & black pepper if needed.
- Garnish with green onions and jalapenos and serve with oyster crackers if desired.
Jeff Benda Bio
Jeff Benda is a full-time wild game and fish recipe developer and food blogger living in Fargo, North Dakota. His goal is to celebrate local fish and wild game and provide achievable, bright recipes designed to build confidence for new cooks, and inspire everyone to elevate their cooking. You can learn more about Jeff on his website www.wildgameandfish.com or follow him on Instagram: @wildgameandfish
