Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder in 20 Minutes

Growing up I ate Nova Scotia seafood chowder probably once a week, usually on Fridays.

It’s not only something you eat at home but it’s a mandatory menu item in Nova Scotia restaurants as well.

Like all great Nova Scotia food, recipes are passed down. This is my grandmothers seafood chowder recipe. Although she’s passed, we still use her recipe. 

Although I now add Old Bay seasoning to it, just like I use it for my snow crab cakes.

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And I still make it often. When I visit my sister I bring enough with me to eat for dinner and hopefully for lunch the next day.

As long as everyone doesn’t eat it all that evening. 

She’s the only one at her house who likes it. With two young children she doesn’t have the luxury of making food solely for herself.

So I like to think of it as a new tradition.

She is always so happy to have it and this seafood chowder recipe takes 20 minutes so how could I deny her of it. 

Chowder in Nova Scotia is Serious

Nova Scotia Although many people ask me where to eat lobster in Nova Scotia, locals don’t eat it in restaurants. We eat it at home.

But Nova scotia seafood chowder? Now that is a local thing.

Maritimers love to discuss which restaurants have the best bowls. And friends share their secret touches.
 

 
People have opinions on how thick it should be, if there should be bacon in it and the best side accompaniment – fresh roll or saltine crackers.

And even if we make it at home, we still eat it out!

It is very common to have an order of a cup of fish chowder and a half sandwich on the menu.

And if it isn’t written people will ask – because somehow it’s acceptable to order half of a sandwich.

I’ve never seen this anywhere other than the Maritimes.

The Secret to Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder

Outsiders think the secret to great chowder is fresh seafood, but that’s accessible everywhere.

In fact if you pop into any grocery store and head to the seafood counter you’ll find “chowder mix” which are the trimmings of seafood for the day.
 

 
A mixed bag of seafood you can cut your time and expenses in half by buying one of these.

Sadly chowder mix not exist in Toronto. Or in many other cities.
 

In this case you just need to go to your fishmonger and ask if they have fish scraps for soup. Or buy your favourite fish and cut it up into 1 inch pieces.

Often I’ll buy fish scraps and then add some bay sea scallops and shrimp to it. If it’s a special occasion I’ll add lobster.

Seafood Chowder Ingredients

• 1 large potato
• 1 lb chowder mix or your favourite seafood
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 medium onion
• 1 carrot
• 2.5 cups homogenized milk
• 1/8 cup of flour
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tsp cornstarch
   

Nova Scotia Fish Chowder Questions + Substitutions

This is an easy seafood chowder recipe, but I understand that people always have questions like:

Can I Freeze Seafood Chowder?

If you use milk with a fat percentage greater than 2% you can technically freeze this Nova Scotia seafood chowder.

However, it’s not going to be fantastic as cooked potatoes don’t thaw well. We have never even considered freezing it because there’s never any left. 

Can I Make Seafood Chowder in Advance?

The best part about making Nova Scotia seafood chowder is that it is actually better the next day.

At the very least I will make it first thing in the morning for dinner that evening to allow the flavours to meld.

When I make it in advance I adjust Step 7 of the recipe to later that day – I’ll add the cornstarch when I reheat the seafood chowder so that I’m not overcooking the fish.

Can I Use Skim Milk in Seafood Chowder?

Of course you can!

But I do not recommend it.

Some Maritime seafood chowders are very decadent and use cream, just like this mussel chowder.

My grandmother’s recipe is what we ate weekly so you need to be somewhat moderate about it.

But also you want the chowder to have a bit of thickness to it.

This calls for 2.5 cups of homogenized milk (3.25% milk fat), although sometimes I’ll cut it with half 1% milk if I’m making it for someone watching their calories.

I’ve also made it entirely with 2% milk, which is fine but I don’t like it as much. 1 cup of homogenized milk in Canada only has 160 calories.

This is not a calorie buster recipe like this PEI seafood chowder, which uses whipping cream.

Also don’t skip the butter, and please don’t use margarine. The point is to give it a rich, buttery flavour. 

Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder Recipe

Restaurants often use bacon or pancetta and cream to win diners over. 

I think this is acceptable, but it’s not the way my grandmother made it. 

I once made this seafood chowder for my family when my grandmother was alive, and perhaps had the greatest compliment.

My grandmother leaned in mid-way through her chowder and told me mine was better.

Little did she know the chowder she made me as a child was an inspiration for my own.

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