Celery, Smoked Haddock and Sweetcorn Chowder
By Fenland Celery
Published on 28 December 2022
Winter white Fenland celery is not only a healthy snack but also a great cooking ingredient - the stalks can be boiled, steamed, braised, baked or cooked in the microwave to make a deliciously refreshing side dish and are also a great base flavour for casseroles and stews or this tasty fish chowder.Time and servings
55 minsTotal time
4Servings
20 minsPrep time
35 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 0.5 tsp of black peppercorns, crushed
- 5 celery sticks, chopped into 2-3cm pieces
- 2 tbsp of plain flour
- 1 squeeze of lemon juice, to taste
- 750 ml of whole milk
- 750 g of undyed smoked haddock fillet
- 50 g of unsalted butter
- 1 large handful of flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
- 4 large fresh eggs, for the poached eggs
- 1 onion, chopped, washed thoroughly and sliced
- 1 carrot, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 175 ml of white wine
- 2 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice
- 1 tin of 200g sweetcorn, drained
- 2 bay leaves
Method
Step 1
Pour the milk into a wide-based pan and add the fish, cutting it into pieces if necessary so it fits in a single layer. Sprinkle over the pepper and tuck in the bay leaves. Bring the milk up to a gentle simmer, cover with a lid or tight-fitting piece of foil, and poach the fish gently for 5-8 minutes. It is cooked when it flakes easily. Gently lift the fish from the pan onto a plate, set aside and reserve the poaching milk.Step 2
Melt the butter gently in a large, heavy-based pan with Fenland celery, onion, carrot and garlic and sweat over a low heat for around 10 minutes until starting to soften. Add the white wine and allow it to bubble and reduce by about half. Stir through the flour and pour in the reserved poaching milk, mixing constantly until thickened.Step 3
Add the potatoes and the sweetcorn, cover with a lid and simmer gently until the potatoes are cooked through but not falling apart. This will take around 30 minutes.Step 4
Whilst the chowder is simmering flake the fish, discarding the skin and taking care to remove any small bones. Add the fish to the pan just as the potatoes are cooked - it only needs warming through. Add the parsley and a squeeze of lemon juice to taste. You may also need to add a little salt depending on how salty the smoked haddock is.Step 5
To serve with poached eggs: when you are ready to serve, start to poach the eggs by filling a wide-based pan with cold water. Bring up to a rolling boil and turn the heat down to a really gentle summer. Carefully crack in the eggs and allow them to poach undistubred until they are cooked to your liking. 4-5 minutes should give you a set white, with a runny yolk.Step 6
Serve the chowder in deep bowls, topped with a poached egg.