Traditional Newfoundland Cod Chowder
I have always thought that the best seafood chowders begin with a fisherman rather than a recipe book. Someone who knows the water, understands the seasons and appreciates that a good piece of fish needs very little encouragement to become a wonderful supper.
Newfoundland has a long and remarkable relationship with cod. For generations, fishing families have cooked the day's catch with potatoes, onions and whatever else happened to be available in the kitchen. The ingredients were modest, but the results could be extraordinarily comforting.
This traditional Newfoundland cod chowder takes its inspiration from that honest coastal cooking.
It begins with salt pork, cut into little pieces and cooked slowly until the fat has rendered and the edges have turned golden. The smell is wonderful. A little of the crisp pork is set aside for the finished bowls, while the rest remains in the pot to flavor the onions and celery.
Then come the potatoes. I use Yukon Golds because they have a lovely buttery texture and hold their shape when gently simmered. Once tender, I crush a few pieces against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon.
It is a simple trick, but a useful one. The potatoes release just enough starch to give the broth a little body without making it heavy or pasty.
For the stock, I use a good fish bouillon and, when I have it, a small piece of kombu. Kombu is dried seaweed, and it brings a quiet savory depth to the broth. I warm it gently in the stock for a few minutes, then remove it before the chowder is assembled. You will not taste seaweed in the finished soup. It simply makes the broth seem a little fuller.
A splash of whole milk and cream brings everything together. And finally, the cod.
I cut the fish into generous pieces and nestle them into the hot chowder, allowing them to poach gently until they become opaque and begin to separate into large, tender flakes.
This is not a soup that appreciates vigorous stirring. The cod is delicate, and I like to find proper pieces of fish in every spoonful rather than little fragments scattered throughout the broth.
A handful of fresh parsley and a scattering of the reserved crisp salt pork finish the bowls. The chowder should be gently creamy, with tender potatoes, sweet flakes of cod and a broth that tastes pleasantly of the sea.
I would serve it with warm bread and a little salted butter. Perhaps at a kitchen table overlooking the water, with the windows open just enough to hear the gulls.
Although, truthfully, it tastes every bit as good on a cold evening at home. And I suspect a second bowl would be difficult to refuse.
TIME About 1 hour 10 minutes | SERVES 6 | LEVEL Easy |
BEFORE YOU START This chowder is all about gentle heat and knowing when the fish is done. These lessons from my Kitchen School will help. Each one takes about five minutes to read. |
Why You'll Love It
BIG, TENDER FLAKES OF COD Poached gently at the end so it stays moist | CREAMY WITHOUT FLOUR A few crushed potatoes give the broth body |
CRISP SALT PORK ON TOP Golden, savory crunch in every bowl | ONE POT, SIMPLE INGREDIENTS Supermarket staples and a little patience |
As seen on TODAY and The Tonight Show · Parade magazine's chef for 10 years · About Chef Jon → |
Traditional Newfoundland Cod Chowder
Serves 6 | Prep: 25 minutes | Cook: about 45 minutes | Total: about 1 hour 10 minutes
Ingredients
For the Stock
4 cups water
Fish bouillon paste or powder, enough for 4 cups according to the package, beginning with less if it is salty
1 small piece kombu, about 2 inches square (optional)
For the Chowder
4 ounces salt pork, diced small (or thick-cut bacon)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, as needed
1 large yellow onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1½ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
1 bay leaf
1½ cups whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
1½ pounds boneless, skinless Atlantic cod, cut into generous 1½-inch pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt, only if needed
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
STEP 1 OF 9
Make the Stock
Place the water, fish bouillon and kombu, if using, in a medium saucepan. Warm gently over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes without letting it boil. Remove and discard the kombu. Taste the stock and adjust the bouillon cautiously. It should taste pleasantly of the sea without being salty.
Chef Jon's tip: start with less bouillon than the package suggests. You can always add more, but you can't take salt back out. |
If something's off: if the kombu flavor seems strong, take it out sooner next time. It should be a quiet background note, never the star. |
STEP 2 OF 9
Render the Salt Pork
Put the diced salt pork in a large heavy soup pot over medium-low heat. Cook slowly for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pieces are golden and crisp.
Using a slotted spoon, lift out about a third of the crisp salt pork and set it aside on paper towels for garnish. Leave the rest in the pot.
Chef Jon's tip: keep the heat at medium-low and be patient. Slow rendering gives you crisp, golden pieces instead of burnt edges with chewy centers. |
If something's off: if there's a lot of fat in the pot, spoon some away before the vegetables go in, or the chowder can turn greasy. |
STEP 3 OF 9
Soften the Onion and Celery
If the pot looks dry, add the butter. Stir in the onion and celery. Cook gently for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned.
You'll know it's right when the onion is soft and translucent with no color on it. Pale vegetables keep the chowder clean and creamy looking. |
STEP 4 OF 9
Simmer the Potatoes
Add the potatoes and bay leaf, then pour in the prepared stock. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are just tender.
You'll know it's right when the tip of a knife slides into a potato cube with no resistance, but the cubes still hold their shape. |
STEP 5 OF 9
Crush a Few Potatoes
Using the back of a wooden spoon, lightly crush a few pieces of potato against the side of the pot. This gives the broth a little body without any flour.
If something's off: if the broth looks thin, crush a few more and simmer a couple of minutes longer. If it's getting thick and pasty, you've crushed too many. Loosen it with a little hot stock or hot milk. |
STEP 6 OF 9
Add the Milk and Cream
Reduce the heat to low. Stir in the milk and cream and warm gently. Do not let the chowder boil once the dairy has been added.
Chef Jon's tip: keep it at a bare steam from here on. You should see the odd lazy bubble at the edge, never a rolling boil. |
If something's off: if the dairy starts to look grainy or separated, take the pot off the heat right away and let it calm down before going on. |
STEP 7 OF 9
Poach the Cod
Add the cod pieces, nestling them into the hot chowder. Poach gently for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on their thickness, until the fish is opaque, flakes easily and reaches 145°F in the thickest part. Avoid vigorous stirring so the fish stays in large, tender flakes.
Chef Jon's tip: use a spoon to nudge the broth over the fish rather than stirring. The less you move it, the bigger the flakes. |
You'll know it's right when the cod is opaque all the way through, flakes when pressed gently, and reads 145°F on an instant-read thermometer in the thickest piece. |
STEP 8 OF 9
Season to Taste
Remove the bay leaf. Taste the chowder and season with freshly ground black pepper. Add salt only if it is needed, as the salt pork and bouillon will already have added plenty.
Chef Jon's tip: taste before you reach for the salt. Between the salt pork and the bouillon, it often needs nothing but a good grind of black pepper. |
STEP 9 OF 9
Serve
Ladle the chowder into warm bowls, making sure each serving receives cod, potato and broth. Finish with chopped parsley and a few pieces of the reserved crisp salt pork. Serve hot.
Chef Jon's tip: add the reserved salt pork right at the end so it stays crunchy. |
Chef's Notes
Taste the bouillon first: brands vary a great deal in strength and salt. Start with less than the package suggests and add more only after tasting.
Kombu is optional: a small piece warmed gently in the stock adds quiet savory depth. Never boil it, and remove it before the stock goes into the chowder. A mild fish stock or bouillon on its own works fine.
Salt pork or bacon: thick-cut bacon is a good substitute if salt pork is hard to find. It will add a little smokiness.
Keep it gently creamy: the chowder should coat a spoon lightly without being thick or pasty. Crush only a few potatoes.
Never boil after the dairy: a hard boil can make the milk separate and will toughen the fish. Keep the heat low.
Use ordinary supermarket ingredients: there's no need for fish bones or heads. Good cod, a decent bouillon and patience are all you need.
Make ahead: the potato and broth base can be made a day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat it gently, then add the dairy and cook the cod just before serving.
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The Secret to Newfoundland Cod Chowder: Gentle Heat and a Little Patience
A good cod chowder is one of the most comforting things you can put in a bowl. Soft potatoes. Big, tender flakes of white fish. A warm, gently creamy broth with little crisp bits of salt pork floating on top.
It's humble food. Nothing fancy, nothing hard to find. Just fish, potatoes, an onion, a bit of pork and some milk. The sort of meal that's been made for generations in kitchens where the sea was right outside the door.
But simple doesn't mean careless. With so few ingredients, each one has to be treated properly, and most of what makes this chowder great comes down to heat. When to turn it up. When to turn it down. And when to leave things alone.
Here's what's happening in the pot, and why each step matters.
1. Why You Taste the Bouillon First
Store-bought fish bouillon is a real time saver, and it means you don't need fish bones or heads to make a good broth. But brands vary enormously. Some are mild. Some are very salty.
That's why you start with less than the package suggests. The salt pork will add salt later, and the broth reduces a little as it simmers, so a stock that tastes perfectly seasoned at the start can taste salty by the end.
You're aiming for a stock that tastes pleasantly of the sea. Not a salty one. Gently savory, so the cod and potatoes have something good to sit in.
2. Why a Small Piece of Kombu Helps
Kombu is simply dried kelp, a type of seaweed. It's naturally rich in glutamates, the same family of compounds that gives foods like Parmesan and ripe tomatoes their savory depth.
Warmed gently in water, kombu releases those savory notes into the stock. You won't taste seaweed. You'll just notice the broth tastes a little fuller and rounder.
Keep it below a boil and take it out after 10 to 15 minutes. Boiled or left in too long, kombu can turn slippery and give the stock a stronger, sometimes slightly bitter flavor. A quiet supporting role is all it needs.
3. Why the Salt Pork Is Rendered Slowly
Salt pork is mostly fat, cured with salt. When you heat it gently, that fat slowly melts out into the pot, and the pieces that remain turn golden and crisp.
Turn the heat up and the outside browns long before the fat inside has a chance to melt. You end up with pieces that are burnt on the outside and chewy in the middle, and a pot that smells scorched.
Medium-low heat and 8 to 10 minutes of patience gives you two things. Crisp little pieces for the top of every bowl, and flavorful fat to cook the vegetables in.
4. Why the Onion and Celery Stay Pale
In many soups I want a bit of color on the onions. Not here. A cod chowder should look clean and creamy, and browned vegetables would muddy both the color and the flavor.
Cooking the onion and celery gently in the pork fat softens them and draws out their natural sweetness, without the deeper caramel notes that come from browning. That sweetness balances the salty pork and the briny stock.
5. Why Yukon Golds Are the Right Potato
Potatoes range from starchy and fluffy, like russets, to waxy and firm, like small red potatoes. Yukon Golds sit comfortably in the middle.
They hold their shape well enough to stay in neat cubes in the chowder, but they're soft and creamy when you bite into them, with a naturally buttery flavor. Cutting them into even half-inch cubes means they all cook at the same rate and fit nicely on a spoon.
6. Why Crushing a Few Potatoes Thickens the Broth
Cooked potatoes are full of softened starch. When you press a few pieces against the side of the pot, some of that starch is released into the broth and gives it a little body.
It's an old-fashioned trick, and it means there's no need for flour. The broth stays light and tastes cleaner, and it thickens just enough to coat a spoon.
Go easy, though. A few pieces is plenty. Crush too many and the chowder turns thick and pasty.
7. Why the Chowder Never Boils After the Dairy Goes In
Milk is a delicate thing. Its proteins can clump together when they're pushed too hard by heat, especially in a pot that also contains salt and the starch from potatoes. That's when you get a grainy, separated look.
Whole milk and heavy cream are more forgiving than lower-fat milk, which is one reason this recipe uses them. But the safest approach is simple. Turn the heat down before the dairy goes in, and keep it below a boil from then on.
It's good for the fish too. A hard boil would toss the cod around and toughen it.
8. Why the Cod Goes in Last
Cod is lean and delicate, and it cooks very quickly. Its flesh is made of large flakes held together by thin layers of connective tissue that soften fast with gentle heat.
Poached gently in the hot chowder for just 5 to 8 minutes, the fish turns opaque and separates into big, moist flakes. Cook it longer, or stir it hard, and those flakes break into small, dry shreds.
Cutting the fish into generous pieces gives you a little extra margin, and nestling it into the broth rather than stirring keeps it whole. It's done when it flakes easily and reaches 145°F in the thickest part.
9. Why the Salt Goes in at the End, If at All
Between the salt pork and the bouillon, there's already plenty of salt in the pot. And as the chowder simmers, the flavors concentrate.
So the seasoning waits until the end. Taste first. Add a good grind of black pepper. Only then decide whether it needs any salt. Very often it doesn't.
Bringing Everything Together
A good cod chowder should feel generous and honest. A gently creamy broth that tastes of the sea. Potatoes that are soft but still hold their shape. Big, moist flakes of cod. And a few crisp, golden pieces of salt pork on top.
Ladle it into warm bowls and make sure everyone gets a bit of everything. A scattering of parsley, a little crunch from the salt pork, and some warm bread on the side is all it needs.
This is exactly the kind of food I love. Simple ingredients, treated with care. It's a reminder that the farmers and fishermen are the real heroes, and our job in the kitchen is mostly not to get in their way.
Key Ingredients
Atlantic Cod: Lean, mild and flaky. Cut it into generous 1½-inch pieces and add it last so it stays moist.
Salt Pork: Cured pork fat that renders into savory fat and crisp, golden pieces. Thick-cut bacon works if you can't find it.
Fish Bouillon: A practical base for the stock. Brands vary in salt, so start with less and taste.
Kombu: Optional dried kelp that adds a quiet savory depth to the stock. Warm it gently and remove it before the stock goes in.
Yukon Gold Potatoes: Creamy and buttery, but firm enough to hold their shape. A few crushed pieces thicken the broth.
Onion and Celery: Cooked gently until soft and sweet, without browning.
Whole Milk and Heavy Cream: Give the chowder its gentle creaminess. Keep the heat low once they go in.
Fresh Parsley: A bright, fresh finish for each bowl.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
A salty chowder: start with less bouillon than the package suggests, and taste before adding any salt. The salt pork adds salt too.
Burnt salt pork: render it slowly over medium-low heat. High heat burns the outside before the fat has rendered.
A greasy chowder: if the salt pork is very fatty, spoon off some of the rendered fat before adding the vegetables.
A thin, watery broth: crush a few more potatoes and simmer a few minutes longer before adding the dairy.
A thick, pasty chowder: don't crush too many potatoes. Loosen it with a little hot stock or hot milk.
Separated or curdled dairy: keep the heat low once the milk and cream go in, and never let the chowder boil.
Dry, overcooked cod: add the cod last and poach it gently just until it flakes.
Cod breaking into small pieces: cut the fish into generous pieces and stir as little as possible.
Undercooked potatoes: make sure they're tender before the dairy and fish go in.
Soggy salt pork garnish: keep the reserved pieces dry and add them just before serving.
What to Serve with Cod Chowder
A square of my Scottish Oat Porridge Focaccia, buttered and seasoned, for dunking
Warm crusty bread for dunking, like my Daily Bread
Oyster crackers or buttered soda crackers
A crisp green salad with a sharp lemon dressing
Pickled beets or a simple coleslaw on the side
How to Store
Make ahead: Make the potato and broth base up to a day ahead. Cool it promptly, refrigerate, then reheat gently, add the milk and cream and cook the cod just before serving.
Fridge: Refrigerate leftovers promptly in shallow covered containers for up to 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: I don't recommend freezing the finished chowder. The potatoes turn grainy, the dairy can separate, and the cod overcooks when it's reheated. If you want to freeze something, freeze the stock on its own.
Reheat: Warm gently over low heat, stirring as little as possible, until it reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer. Don't let it boil. Add a splash of milk if it has thickened.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Newfoundland cod chowder?
Newfoundland cod chowder is a traditional style of fish soup associated with Newfoundland's coastal cooking. It typically combines cod with potatoes, onions and a milk-based broth. Some versions also include salt pork. This recipe adds celery, fresh parsley and optional kombu.
What is the best fish for Newfoundland chowder?
Fresh Atlantic cod is an excellent choice. Its mild flavor and tender texture work beautifully in a creamy broth. Choose thick, boneless pieces when possible so the fish remains in generous flakes after cooking.
Can I use frozen cod for chowder?
Yes. Frozen cod works well if it is properly thawed in the refrigerator before cooking. Pat the fish dry and cut it into generous pieces.
Why do you add cod at the end?
Cod cooks quickly and can become dry or break apart if simmered for too long. Adding it near the end allows the fish to poach gently while keeping the pieces moist and tender.
How long does cod take to cook in chowder?
Cod generally takes approximately 5 to 8 minutes to poach, depending on the thickness of the pieces. The fish should become opaque, flake easily and reach an internal temperature of 145°F.
What is salt pork?
Salt pork is pork preserved with salt, commonly made from fatty cuts such as pork belly. It has long been used to flavor soups, stews and chowders. In this recipe, it is slowly rendered until golden and crisp.
Can I use bacon instead of salt pork?
Yes. Thick-cut bacon is a practical substitute. It will give the chowder a slightly smokier flavor.
How do you thicken cod chowder without flour?
Crush a few of the cooked potatoes against the side of the pot. Their natural starch adds body to the broth without the need for flour.
What is kombu?
Kombu is an edible dried seaweed commonly used to flavor Japanese stocks. In this recipe, a small piece is gently warmed in the fish stock to add savory depth. It is removed before the chowder is assembled.
Do I need kombu to make Newfoundland cod chowder?
No. Kombu is entirely optional. A good fish stock or carefully seasoned fish bouillon will still produce a delicious chowder.
Why is my fish chowder watery?
The potatoes may not have released enough starch, or the stock may be too diluted. Try crushing a few more pieces of potato to give the broth additional body. The finished chowder should remain gently creamy rather than thick.
Why has my chowder curdled?
Milk and cream can separate when heated too aggressively. Once the dairy has been added, keep the chowder at a gentle heat and avoid boiling.
Can I make cod chowder ahead of time?
Yes, although I recommend preparing the potato and broth base ahead rather than the complete chowder. Refrigerate the base promptly, then reheat it and add the milk, cream and fresh cod shortly before serving. This helps preserve the texture of the fish.
Can you freeze cod chowder?
You can freeze fish chowder, but dairy-based soups sometimes separate after thawing, and the fish may lose some of its delicate texture. For the best results, freeze the potato and broth base before adding the milk, cream and cod. Finish the chowder with fresh ingredients when ready to serve.
Recommended Equipment
Make this recipe easier with the right tools: Dutch Oven, Sauce Pan, Chef's Knife and Instant-Read Thermometer.
You Might Also Like
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might also love my Fish and Chips, Moules Frites, Seafood Paella, Spaghetti Vongole and Traditional Oxtail Soup.
Want to make your own stock? Read my guide on how to make stock.
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