Canadian mussel, cod & fennel chowder

Canadian mussel, cod & fennel chowder

A chowder doesn't need to be casual food, try this version to make it a smarter supper

Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 50 minutes

Method

  1. Clean the mussels well, scrubbing the outsides and discarding any that are broken or don't close when tapped on the side of the sink. Put the cider in a big pan, bring to the boil, then add the mussels. Cover and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, until all the mussels are open. Drain, reserving the cooking liquor in a separate container, and throw away any mussels that haven't opened.
  2. Melt the butter in the same pan and add the bacon. Fry until golden, then add the leeks, potatoes, fennel and a splash of water. Cover and cook for about 12 minutes to soften. Stir from time to time and add another splash of water if necessary - don't let the vegetables and bacon burn.
  3. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove 3/4 of them from their shells. Strain the reserved mussel liquor through a sieve lined with kitchen paper. Add to the bacon and vegetables and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Mash some potatoes a little against the side of the pan - this helps thicken it. Add the cream, bring up to a simmer and add the cod. Poach for 2-3 minutes, then add all the mussels and gently heat through. Season with pepper (you probably won't need salt because the mussel liquor is quite salty) and a squeeze of lemon. Scatter with parsley and serve.

Per serving

614 kcalories, protein 38.6g, carbohydrate 25.5g, fat 38.5 g, saturated fat 19.2g, fibre 3.7g, salt 2.42 g

Recipe from olive magazine, January 2008.

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Latest comments and suggestions

  • 30 December 2007

    Andrea rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • 19 March 2008

    mmmmmmm food rated and commented on this recipe

    5 stars

    Absolutely beautiful. Will definately be making it again!

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  • 05 May 2008

    Sprag commented on this recipe

    Delicious!! But time consuming cleaning all the mussels. Going to try it with cooked mussels next time.

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  • 26 October 2009

    davem rated and commented on this recipe

    4 stars

    Substituted king prawns for the mussels and dropped the bacon and it was still a wonderful dish. Looking forward to leftovers this evening!

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  • 24 January 2011

    Sarah commented on this recipe

    Really tasty and easy to make. I didn't have mussels so added a few drops of fish sauce to the cider and chucked in a load of king prawns at the end. Delicious with fresh crusty bread. I may use smoked bacon next time too.

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  • 24 January 2011

    Sarah rated this recipe

    5 stars

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  • 09 February 2011

    Carys commented on this recipe

    Really tasty cant wait to make it again - used smoked haddock instead of cod. Super delicious and great to freeze.

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  • 15 September 2011

    farmanl commented on this recipe

    What an excellent recipe, I made the potatoes smaller and the cod as well, obviously reducing the cooking time for both. I wanted bite sized pieces which is much more practical to eat with a spoon. Verdict - absolutely delicious. This will be one for the next dinner party.

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Difficulty and servings

Easy

Serves 4

Preparation and cooking times

Total time

Ready in 50 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1kg mussels
  • 500ml dry cider
  • 30g butter
  • 200g bacon lardons or streaky bacon , cut into strips
  • 2 leeks , cut into rings
  • 400g potatoes , peeled and cut into 4cm chunks
  • 1 large bulb fennel , trimmed, quartered and cut into thin slices
  • 142ml pot double cream
  • 400g skinless cod fillet, cut into 4cm chunks (look for MSC certified cod from sustainable stocks or buy farmed)
  • a good squeeze lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
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Per serving

614 kcalories, protein 38.6g, carbohydrate 25.5g, fat 38.5 g, saturated fat 19.2g, fibre 3.7g, salt 2.42 g

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