Did you know that New England fish chowder was the original chowder? It actually pre-dates clam chowders by at least a hundred years. If you’re a food nerd like myself check out A History of Chowder: Four Centuries of a New England Meal. This great little book traces its development from its origins in the […]
Now that I’ve lived in New England for well over a decade, I’ve acquired quite a collection of New England cookbooks. I can’t wait to contribute my own New England cookbook to this post someday! I’ve been working on such a project for over two years now. It’s still not close to being finished but […]
Similar to other New England-style shellfish stews (oyster stew, scallop stew, etc.) a Maine lobster stew is really more of a brothy, creamy soup than a thick stew. In this case, that means a base of lobster stock, cream (or half and half) and sherry. But there’s two secrets that can take it from a […]
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A poached egg in a chowder? Oh yes indeed! Better yet, not just any chowder but a smoked haddock chowder. It just so happens that the flavors of smoked fish and an egg yolk complement each other really well. Who knew? Well, I guess you could say millions of Asian people certainly know, perhaps not […]
Truth be told, you’ll find very few recipes, be it online or in cookbooks, for a New England crab stew. Same for crab soups. Local quahogs, lobsters and mussels are much more popular in New England soups and stews than local crabs. So when I decided I wanted to make a New England crab stew, […]
Crab stock is not something many people make at home, at least not here in New England. However, the method for making crab stock is almost identical to lobster stock, a stock that is probably more familiar to New Englanders. And the result is the same – a wonderful, richly flavored stock that can be […]
A New England-style scallop stew is basically in the style of a traditional oyster stew. These old time New England shellfish “stews” are not really stews but rather brothy soups made with a combination of broth and milk or cream. Oyster stew is by far the most famous because in the late 19th and early […]
With all due respect to gumbo, cioppino is America’s most popular native seafood stew. Cioppino originated in San Francisco in the late 19th century with Italian immigrant fisherman who adapted similar native dishes, such as zuppa di pesce, into a unique tomato-based seafood medley. It has ventured far beyond its humble beginnings to become a […]
There are times when the beauty in this life stops you dead in your tracks. A misty mountain vista with shades of blue and purple, a fiery orange sunset that lights up the sky, an uplifting piece of music. The same could be said of a New England bouillabaisse. When it’s done right, it’s like […]
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Welcome to Fearless Eating’s Ultimate Guide to New England Chowder! This is the most comprehensive post available online about New England’s most iconic meal. It includes not just 12 chowder recipes but also information on the history of chowder, essential ingredients, regional styles, and lots lots more. If you’re here just for the recipes, you […]
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Few New Englanders are aware that there’s another style of New England clam chowder that is a tomato-based red clam chowder. This may be shocking to most New Englanders who once tried to criminalize adding tomatoes to chowder. But in pockets around New England there’s exists a little-known Portuguese red clam chowder that bares little resemblance […]
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The defining characteristic of Maine-style clam chowders is that traditionally they’re made with milk and never thickened with flour. In comparison to other types of New England chowders, the northernmost New England versions are on the thinner and brothier side of the chowder spectrum. This doesn’t mean a milky Maine clam chowder isn’t hearty and delicious! […]