Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder

🦞 Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

3 tbsp butter

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed

4 cups seafood stock (or chicken stock + clam juice)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp thyme (dried or fresh)

Salt & pepper, to taste

Seafood & Cream Base:

1 lb haddock or cod, cut into bite-sized pieces

1 cup scallops

1 cup cooked lobster meat (or crab)

1 cup raw shrimp, peeled & deveined

1 cup clams or mussels (optional)

2 cups heavy cream (or half-and-half for lighter version)

½ cup whole milk

2 tbsp butter (to finish)

Fresh parsley or dill, chopped (for garnish)

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Instructions

1. Sauté the base:

In a large pot, melt butter over medium heat.

Add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in garlic and cook 1 more minute.

2. Simmer potatoes:

Add potatoes, seafood stock, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10–12 minutes until potatoes are tender.

3. Add seafood:

Gently add haddock, scallops, lobster, shrimp, and clams.

Simmer 5–7 minutes until seafood is just cooked through.

4. Make it creamy:

Reduce heat to low. Stir in cream and milk, heating gently (do not boil).

Add 2 tbsp butter at the end for richness.

5. Serve:

Remove bay leaf.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.

Garnish with fresh parsley or dill.

Serve hot with crusty bread or biscuits.

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👉 Traditional Nova Scotia chowder is thick but not gluey — the creaminess comes from the balance of potatoes and cream, not flour.