My father cooked the Boston seafood chowder! He brought the recipe to Boston from his birthplace in Islesboro, Maine. I remember the tantalizing smell as Dad carefully blended ingredients.


Boston Seafood Chowder
Boston seafood chowder is a rich, creamy soup that embodies the coastal flavors of New England. It features a variety of seafood combined with potatoes and vegetables in a thick, velvety broth. It’s a comforting and hearty dish.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1/4 lb. salt pork
- 2 big onions sliced
- 2 to 3 cups of raw potatoes (also sliced, never cubed)
- 2 cups of water
- 2 lbs haddock or cod
- salt to taste and 1/4 tsp. pepper
- 2 to 3 cups rich milk or par “coffee cream”
Instructions
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- Fry salt pork in a heavy kettle. Remove pork scraps and set aside.
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- Cook onions in the remaining fat until golden. Add potatoes and water.
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- Place fish fillets on top of potatoes. Season. Cover and cook on low heat until potatoes are fairly soft and fish flakes.
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- Pour milk and heat, but DO NOT boil. Avoid stirring (so fish won’t break up too much), and serve with “common” crackers. These crackers are still available from Vermont Common Foods. Sprinkle reserved crisp pork bits on top of chowder.