Thai Style Fish Chowder

Recipe by Lynn Fredericks 

Prep Time: 25 minutes     Cook Time: 20 minutes     Makes: 16 tasting servings 

 Ingredients: 

  • cups Chicken Broth 
  • cloves Garlic 
  • ½-inch piece Ginger 
  • Thai Chili Pepper or Jalapeno, or Habanera/
    Scotch Bonnet 
  • Potato 
  • box/bag frozen Lima Beans 
  • 1 ½ pounds White Fish Fillets or Cod, Sole, Halibut, etc. 
    bonelessskinless 
  • can Coconut Milk 
  • ears Corn 
  • 1 ½-inch cube Tamarind (or liquid Tamarind concentrate to taste) 
  • ½ bunch Cilantro  
  • ½ bunch Asian Basil  
  • ¼ bunch Mint 
  • Kaffir Lime Leaves (optional) 
  • tablespoon Thai Fish Sauce (Nam Plah) 

Directions 

  1. In a large pot, HEAT the chicken broth over medium heat (about 5 minutes).   
  2. Meanwhile, PEEL garlic and ginger, and then SLICE them thinly.   
  3. SLICE the chili in half (if using scotch bonnet or jalapeno, remove seeds with a teaspoon; use only ½ scotch bonnet).  ADD these ingredients to the broth.     
  4. PEEL the potato and then DICE it.  
  5. ADD diced potatoes and the lima beans to the broth and COOK for 5 minutes. 
  6. Meanwhile, CUT the fish fillets into 1 ½-inch chunks.  
  7. CUT the corn off the cob.  Be sure to WORK slowly and carefully and CUT deeply enough so that the whole kernels are removed.  
  8. ADD the fish, corn, and the coconut milk to the pot and COOK for 5 minutes. 
  9. Meanwhile, FILL a wide liquid measuring cup with ½ cup warm water, and ADD the tamarind to it. With clean hands, using the fingers, DISSOLVE the tamarind pulp in the water.  REMOVE the fibrous pulp and any tamarind seeds that won’t dissolve, and DISCARD them.  ADD the tamarind water into the broth to taste.  If you are using liquid tamarind concentrate, ADD it by the tablespoon to taste.  
  10.  SEPARATE the leaves from the stems of the herbs and CHOP the leaves.  ADD the leaves to the pot.
  11. ADD the Kaffir lime whole leaves to soup.   
  12. TASTE soup and SEASON to your taste preferences, using fish sauce for saltiness. COOK a 5 more minutes until flavors are well combined, ADJUSTING seasoning with salt or fish sauce if necessary.  SERVE hot in bowls as a main course. 

SEASONAL VARIATIONS 

Season  Variation 
Fall 
  • Diced and blanched Winter Squash (e.g. Pumpkin, Butternut or Acorn Squash) 
  • Sliced Mushrooms 
  • Frozen Corn 
Winter 
  • Diced Turnip  
  • Leafy Greens 
  • Canned Water Chestnuts 
  • Frozen Corn 
Spring 
  • Asparagus 
  • Snap Peas 
  • Frozen Corn 
Summer 
  • Summer Squash 
  • Mustard Greens 
  • Long Beans 
  • Thai Eggplants 

EQUIPMENT CHECKLIST 

COMMON EQUIPMENT   SPECIAL EQUIPMENT  
  • Chef’s Knife 
  • Cutting Boards 
  • Measuring Spoons & Cups 
  • Wooden Spoon 
  • Oven Mitts 
  • 10 Mise en Place Bowls 
  • large Pot  
  • Can Opener 
  • Colander 
  • Large Bowl 

 

DISPOSABLE SUPPLIES   SUPPLIES  
  • Tasting Spoons 
  • Paper Towel Roll  
  • Napkins for all 
  • Stove 
  • Bowls for all 
  • Spoons for all 

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