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Information from Antor.org
This delicious fish chowder is considered to be
Bermuda's national dish. It differs from American versions of chowder by its dark, rich color and the
finely minced quality of the ingredients. A British dish that came over with the first colonists in the mid 1600s,
and not an original American dish as commonly thought.
It is different in content, taste,
and texture to any New England style fish or clam chowder. It begins with a good stock, rich and flavorful, made from fresh local de-boned fish (with
fish heads and tails used). It should not be too watery or over
thickened with corn starch or with too much tomato paste. The best
recipe use boiled up whole fish carcasses (including the heads).
The chowder is traditionally accompanied by a splash of
sherry peppers (ripe and very hot bird peppers marinated in sherry with herbs and spices)
and black rum (rum darkened by molasses and a special barrel aging process).
The
commercial local version of this condiment (sherry peppers) is made by Bermuda-based Outerbridge Peppers from a secret recipe of sherry wine, carefully selected peppers, and
other good things. Royal Navy sailors first made this popular pepper sauce to make their
rations more interesting. Long, slow simmering is the key.
Bermuda Fish Chowder Recipe
Recipe Type:
Soup,
Chowder,
Tomatoes,
Potatoes
Yields: 10 servings
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 hr
Ingredients:
Fish Stock (see recipe below)
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 large onions, chopped
8 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
2 green bell peppers, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped*
1 (10-ounce) can beef consommé (stock)
1 cup catsup (ketchup)
1/2 cup chopped parsley
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
6 carrots, diced
1 (2-ounce) jigger dark rum (preferably Gosling's Black Seal rum)
4 tablespoons Outerbridge's Original Sherry Pepper Sauce
* To easily prepare the tomatoes, use a sharp
knife and cut the tomatoes while still in the can.
Preparation:
Prepare Fish Stock.
In
a large frying pan, melt butter and oil together. Briefly sauté onions,
celery, garlic, and green peppers until the onions are soft and opaque. Add
tomatoes and beef consommé and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes.
Transfer the vegetable mixture
to the simmering Fish Stock; add catsup, parsley, Worcestershire sauce,
lemon juice, potatoes, and carrots. Simmer chowder very slowly for at least
1 hour, or up to 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Adjust seasoning to
your taste. Before serving, remove bay leaves.
Serve soup piping hot and pass around
Outerbridge’s Original Sherry Peppers Sauce and Gosling’s Black Seal rum (or
a similar good quality dark rum) so guests can add a few dashes of each to
their bowls of soup.
Makes a large pot of soup.
Fish Stock:
4 quarts water
1 1/2 pounds white fish fillets (Grouper, Wahoo, Halibut, Hake, etc.)
Salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
10 peppercorns
6 whole cloves or 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
In a
large heavy soup pot over medium-high heat, prepare Fish Stock. Place water, fish
fillets, salt, thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, and cloves. Bring just to a
boil; reduce heat and let simmer approximately 30 to 45 minutes. NOTE:
Skim off any scum that forms on the surface and discard.
