Rachael Ray’s Fish and Corn Chowder Is the Ultimate Summer Meal
Food Network star Rachael Ray’s satisfyingly delicious fish and corn chowder has “summer dinner” written all over it.
Teeming with fresh fish chunks and sweet fresh corn, Ray’s meal is a warm-weather crowd-pleaser.
Ray’s seafood and corn chowder is a simple but elegant dish
The chef’s meal calls for seafood or chicken stock, extra-virgin olive oil, finely chopped smoky bacon, chopped onion, chopped celery hearts and their leafy tops, peeled and sliced starchy potatoes, minced fresh garlic, fresh bay leaves, chopped fresh thyme (Ray says dried thyme is OK, too), fresh ears of corn, two pounds of haddock, seafood seasoning, whole milk, heavy cream, and unsalted butter.
The daytime show star’s recipe also says that frozen corn works in this recipe as well.
Also, if you like, chopped chives and dill can be sprinkled on the final chowder.
The chef’s dish is a gorgeous late-summer recipe
In the Food Network video for this recipe, Ray says this is a “meal packed with end-of-summer flavors but you can make it all year long.”
She begins by browning chopped bacon and then setting it aside. After that, Ray sautees the onions and celery in a Dutch oven and explains why she puts these veggies in first: “I don’t put the potatoes in first because they’re so starchy, they stick to the bottom, they soak up all the fat. I put in the celery and onions first so they can start giving off their juices, keep the pan nice and moist.”
The bay leaves and thyme are added, followed by warmed stock (“It’s nice and hot, not slowing anything down!”), and then the chopped potatoes. The corn is stirred in next, and the mixture is covered and set on medium to high heat, “so it’s screaming hot for the haddock.”
The 30-Minute Meals host says you can use haddock or any “nice, white flaky fish, whatever looks good at the fish store that day.” There’s no need to prepare the fish in any way when nestling it into the hot broth: “You don’t have to cut it up or anything. We’ll break it up once the fish becomes opaque and cooked through.”
She sprinkles the seafood seasoning on the fish and “gently” breaks up the fillets of fish. The milk and cream are poured into the chowder at this point, “and then you just let it thicken up.”
Get the complete recipe, video, and reviews on Food Network’s site.
Home cooks loved Ray’s quick and easy chowder
Reviewers chimed into Food Network’s site to praise Ray’s simple and kind of sophisticated chowder.
“I’ve made this at least 6x now and we love it! I use Tilapia because its usually the cheapest and instead of 1cup whole milk & 2cups heavy cream I substitute with 3cups half n half. YUMMMM!,” one person wrote.
Another home cook added, “Rachel, this one was out of this world. I have always wanted to try corn chowder and fish chowder and the two together were stupendous! Do NOT skip the garnishes (chives, dill and lemon zest, what a taste sensation on top of the chowder!”
