Here, fishy, fishy, I have a new recipe for you! Try this recipe to repurpose leftover fish for a hearty and satisfying chowder, brimming with all of your favorite vegetables. Because I had pumpkin swordfish, I “peppered” the chowder with like-colored ingredients, but remember, it’s your fish chowder. Click to skip to the recipe
I had friends over for a fussy dinner the other night.
I did my version of surf and turf by grilling both a butterflied leg of lamb and delicious pumpkin swordfish steaks. Don’t fret, recipes will follow!
I ended up with a bunch of leftovers. You know how I am. I cannot stand to waste food.
The wheels started runnin’ and I thought about leftover recipes for the swordfish.
Swordfish cakes came to mind as did my Bubba Gump’s list of other fish dishes like swordfish gumbo, swordfish fried-rice, swordfish salad, swordfish burgers, swordfish spread…well, you get the picture.
In the end, fish chowder won out and I created a recipe that worked out just fine.
Because I had pumpkin swordfish, I “peppered” the chowder with like-colored ingredients using sweet potatoes and carrots to flavor the broth. But remember, it’s your fish chowder.
You can use whatever fish you have leftover and your favorite chowder veggies.
It’s really all about the fishy, creamy rich broth that makes this soooo good. Serve with a wedge of cheesy garlic bread and a green salad and invite those friends back to join in the FUN!
Pumpkin Swordfish Chowder
Serves: 6
Time: 30 minutes ’til it’s ready
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
½ red onion, finely diced
6 ribs celery, finely diced
1 large carrot, finely diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 medium white potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons flour
½ cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound cooked swordfish steak, chopped into ½-inch pieces
Chopped, fresh parsley
Melt the butter in a deep soup pot. Add the onion, celery, and carrots. Stir and cook until the veggies begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Stir in the potatoes. Cook for 3 minutes more. Season the veggies with salt, pepper, and thyme. Sprinkle the flour over the top. Pour in the wine. Stir until the liquid thickens and begins to reduce, about 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and cream. Stir in the swordfish. Reduce the heat to simmer the chowder over low heat. Continue to cook until the potatoes soften, and the broth is slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. For thicker broth add more cream. For thinner broth, add more chicken stock.
Tip 1:
Pumpkin swordfish has a delicate, orange-colored flesh made possible because the fish eat a whole bunch of pink shrimp and krill. I created this soup after I over-prepared swordfish for a special dinner I had with friends. I grilled the fish and finished it with a bit of butter. The leftovers were just too delish to lose, thus the soup. I added carrots and sweet potato to go with the orangish color of the fish. But you can use this recipe as a guideline. Any fish will do and plain ole’ swordfish works just fine. Add more regular spuds if you don’t have sweet potatoes and flavor this rich chowder with any of your favorite spices. It’s all good!
