Halibut Chowder Recipe
Nothing warms you up on a cold, dark winter evening like a hot bowl of homemade chowder! This halibut chowder recipe is quick, healthy and so delcious, it will become a staple Alaskan meal in your home.
When you think of Alaskan seafood, halibut always comes to mind. Fresh, wild caught halibut is delicious and a favorite food here in our home. Some of our favorite recipes include:
This halibut chowder recipe also makes the list! I can whip it up fairly quickly any day of the week for lunch or supper and our family loves it. Paired with some freshly baked sourdough bread makes it even better.
I use halibut that my husband caught (you can read about his adventures in this post) along with simple ingredients including homemade stock and homegrown vegetables, herbs and potatoes.
This is a healthy and hearty meal to keep us warm on those cold Alaska winter days. I think your family will love it too!
Ingredients for Halibut Chowder Recipe
- Halibut- I like to use our pressure-canned halibut. I can quickly open a 16 ounce jar and it’s ready to go into this chowder. Leftover baked halibut works as well. If you’re using fresh fish or previously frozen halibut, bake it first at 400 degrees F for 10-15 minutes then flake prior to adding to the chowder. Or cook in an electric pressure cooker following these instructions. You can also use another favorite whitefish including cod or lingcod.
- Various Vegetables- Onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes always work great. Use whatever you have on hand! I planted a lot of purple fingerling potatoes this past summer so that’s what I use! You can also add some whole kernel corn or sweet potatoes. This is a great way to use up those extra, leftover vegetables.
- Butter- Homemade butter is always a treat to bake with. Olive oil will work as well.
- Stock- You can use any kind of stock that you have on hand. Homemade vegetable stock, fish stock, or even chicken stock will all work.
- Seasonings- Bay leaves are nice while simmering along with salt and pepper, of course. Add other favorite herbs that you’ve preserved from your summer garden if you like.
- Whole Milk- We use raw milk from our dairy cows. You can use heavy cream as well for an even creamier chowder.
Tools You Will Need
- Large pot
- Large spoon
- Cutting board and sharp knife
How to Make Halibut Chowder
In a large soup pot or dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, celery, garlic or whatever vegetables you’re using and stir well. Saute vegetables for about 8 to 10 minutes or until tender.
Pour in the flour and continue to cook for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the stock, potatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft, stirring occassionally.
Remove the bay leaf and stir in the milk and flaked halibut.
Continue to simmer over low heat for about 5 more minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
Serving, Storage and Reheating Halibut Chowder
Serve this halibut chowder recipe hot from the pot all by itself for a hearty meal or try one of these accompaniments:
- Crispy bacon- Cooked bacon that’s been crumbled up makes a delcious topping on this chowder.
- Shredded cheese- Cheddar cheese or another favorite cheese melts on top of the chowder and adds even more flavor.
- Croutons- Homemade croutons or even oyster crackers added to this chowder make it even more filling.
- Sourdough bread- Sourdough is the perfect bread to dip in this halibut chowder recipe.
- Hot sauce- My husband loves to put a few dashes of his favorite hot sauce onto this chowder for an extra kick.
To store, keep in an airight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Because this chowder containes milk (or cream), it doesn’t freeze well and is best enjoyed fresh.
To reheat, place chowder in a small pot over medium-low heat until heated throughout, about 5-10 minutes.
If you like fish chowder, try this recipe using smoked salmon!
This halibut chowder recipe is full of healthy fish, vegetables, and stock. It doesn’t take long to serve your family this delicious meal that will fill them up after a day out in the snow!
Halibut Chowder
Equipment
- Large pot or dutch oven
- Large spoon
- Cutting board and knife
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Butter
- 1/2 Onion, diced
- 1 Carrot, chopped
- 2 Celery stalks, chopped
- 2 Garlic cloves, minced
- 1/3 cup Flour
- 2 cups Potatoes, cut into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces
- 4 cups Stock (vegetable, chicken, or fish)
- 1 Bay leaf
- 3/4 tsp Salt
- 1/4 tsp Black pepper
- 1 cup Milk or cream
- 1 Halibut fillet, precooked or 16 oz. canned halibut, flaked
Instructions
- Melt the butter in the pot over medium-high heat.
- Add in the chopped vegetables and cook until tender, stirring occassionally, about 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir constantly for about 2 minutes until the vegetables are all coated.
- Add the stock, potatoes, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
- Discard the bay leaf and stir in the milk and halibut.
- Continue to simmer until halibut is warm, about 5 more minutes.
- Serve warm from the pot with a side of sourdough bread or topped with shredded cheese.
