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Miso Fish Chowder
![Miso Fish Chowder](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2022/07/25/dining/kc-miso-cod-chowder/merlin_208558617_7878bcbf-1619-41e1-994f-60b21335cf1b-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 40 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon neutral oil, such as safflower or canola
- 4ounces bacon (3 to 4 slices), sliced crosswise into ¼-inch pieces
- 2tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1leek, white and light green parts, thinly sliced crosswise
- 1celery stalk, diced
- Salt and black pepper
- ¼cup white miso
- 2(8-ounce) bottles clam juice
- 1pound small new potatoes, quartered
- 1thyme sprig
- ½cup heavy cream
- ½cup thinly sliced scallions
- 1½pounds center-cut cod, or other flaky white fish, cut into 1 ½-inch chunks
- Crusty bread or oyster crackers, for serving
Preparation
- Step 1
In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Step 2
Add butter, leek and celery to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add miso and cook, stirring and mashing with a spoon, until well incorporated and caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Add clam juice, potatoes, thyme sprig and 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil over high, stirring to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in cream and half of the scallions, and bring to a gentle simmer. Season fish with salt and add to pot. Gently poach until it is just cooked through and flaky, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and discard thyme sprig.
- Step 4
Divide chowder across bowls, and garnish with the crispy bacon and remaining scallions. Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Hey, here's a comment from someone who's actually cooked this! It's amazing, one of the best chowders I've ever made. No subs needed. No change to cooking times. (Leeks really do get tender in 3 minutes.)
Grew up in maine but never liked thick chowders or bisques. This is the perfect answer to my love of brothy soups. Made it exactly as instructed except used whole quart of fish stock in lieu of clam juice and water, and added smoked paprika. Husband usually just “tastes” any fish based dish I make (steak and potatoes guy) This one made his death-row wish list.
One of the best fish stews I've ever had. Simple, elegant, with wonderful depth thanks to the caramelized miso, clam juice, leek and bacon. I only used one bottle of clam juice and subbed the second with more water as it's what I had on hand, and I didn't miss the extra - I would do the same again. Get your bacon EXTRA crispy in the broiler for this one!
A little pinch of red pepper flake gives a nice zing
I often use that insane strong Asian shrimp paste in my clam chowder when I’m low on clams and juice. It’s an easy quick fix instead of having to mess around with making your own fish stock or shrimp stock. Or could perhaps be added to less concentrated fish broth to substitute for a clam base.
OH MY GOD. Not exaggerating. This might just be the best soup I have ever made. A few tweaks. Recipe called for 1/4 cup white miso. I doubled that amount to 1/2 cup. I threw in a bunch of thyme rather than just a sprig because I had it sitting around. Also, since I had fresh garlic, shallots and onions available, I chopped and added them to the butter, leeks and celery. Finally, in addition to the cod, I added bay scallops and shrimp. Absolute yumminess. Enjoy!!
For those looking for a subsitute for the clam juice: dashi (as already mentioned) would be great or make a light vegetable broth with the dark green parts of the leek, a stalk or two of celery and 2 cups water, simmered for 15 minutes or so.
Growing up in Maine where I was taught to cook by my mother and grandmother, I always make my chowders starting with a rioux eliminating the need for cream. But I do love white miso and can't wait to try this recipe!
i would think that if you had any kind of fish stock you would be ok. maybe save shrimp shells in your freezer and make a concentrated broth from those.
I’m also a Mainer, and I think this is the best chowder I have ever made.
Hi, I think you may have missed the part in Step 2 that has you add 2 cups of water.
Loved this recipe. Subbed smoked paprika for bacon as suggested and it was lovely.
Yes! Omit the dairy.
Absolutely loved this! Didn’t have clam juice so subbed 2 x 8oz cans of crab, and only had 1lb of cod but it felt like plenty. Definitely be careful with the salt - it really doesn’t need much. Next time I will triple the celery!
This is the best fish chowder ever. I will make this again and again. I made it as directed except that I did not have leeks. I used the fish pieces my fish store sells - it was a combination of salmon and cod and halibut. Absolutely delicious and the closest recipe I have found to a fish chowder in Ireland.
How much smoked paprika to replace bacon in this recipe?
What a great soup! I didn’t have the clam juice. But, I did have a can of Baby clams. I puréed the baby clams and added it to the soup! Oh my gosh! I love the chunks of Cod that I put in there. How filling. I can’t stop eating it! Help!
I’m a new to using miso as an ingredient in recipes. I have read that miso should not be boiled? That the aromatic qualities of miso – as well as some of the nutritional benefits – are damaged when boiled. This is why miso is traditionally stirred in at the final stage of cooking, either over a gentle simmer or heat with turned off.
Made this with two minor substitutions: 1. Subbed a Japanese sweet potato for the potatoes. It added a tiny bit of sweetness to complement the salty umami. 2. Subbed 4 c homemade fish stock for the clam juice and water. So good.
This was on my radar for WEEKS mostly because I couldn't find clam juice, and I was thrilled when the stars finally aligned (even had perfect soup season weather). Eyeballed some of the measurements but mostly followed the proportions and it was delicious. I'd definitely make it again!
Added a glug of white vermouth - as well as incorporating other ideas mentioned. Lovely
A good chowder recipe. The miso gives it an interesting twist. I added soy milk instead of heavy cream, can't do the dairy. Thankfully I did hold back on the salt. With the miso and the bacon, salting the fish before adding to the chowder would have been over the top.
REALLY good, wonderful and complex. Surprisingly light. Caramelizing the miso in the butter really is essential, it made the whole kitchen smell heavenly. I used miso with dashi in addition to the clam juice, used dashi in the stock also. The brininess in the clam juice cooks off. Came together amazingly.
Ii substituted the potatoes with Gnocchi and that was a good substitute . I will say though that I regret I made mine too salty. Go sparingly with salt
Wonderful! This recipe is in heavy rotation at our house. I sometimes add a can of drained chopped or whole clams (or sometimes fresh) because my family likes them. I always get compliments when I serve to guests. Comforting but a little more sophisticated than a typical fish chowder. This is a winner!
Rich but not heavy; deliciously pungent but not "fishy" - this was really fantastic. +1 to the reviewers who suggested a can of chopped clams at the end w/ the fish (delicious addition). I used shallots instead of leeks and chicken stock instead of water.
Made this recipe, sans bacon. I am a total noobie at cooking just starting to try to expand my repertoire and follow recipes. As such, I found this was really easy to accidentally over salt. The miso is already pretty salty... Watered it down with more water, cream, and butter, and I think I salvaged the pot. I love it! At 33 years of age, this is the first chowder I've ever made. Very proud of myself.
This was really fun to make. I had a can of seafood stock I used that in place of the clam juice (it smelled pretty clammy!). I had a 1.5 lb bag of baby potatoes so I used all of those and reduced the Cod to 1 lb to cut the expense. I also tipped in a little extra heavy cream worrying that it wouldn't be creamy enough but that was likely unnecessary. The poached Cod felt like a tribute to the texture of the fish. Paired with a Cab Sauv and loaf of dutch oven country bread (prepped a day ahead)
I grew up in Nova Scotia and my family would kill me if they found out I added miso to chowder...However! This is delish, otherwise very true to the chowders of my neck of the woods, and in my opinion more legit than those goopy ones you get down south in USA. (Who has heavy cream on a boat!? Carnation, maybe!). I have no notes on this recipe except that covering the pan once potatoes are in speeds it all up and does no harm.
I prefer my fish chowder similar to Rhode Island clam chowder. No cream. But adding white miso sounds tasty and I just bought some, I will try it.
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