Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2–4

Every time we would go to see my husband’s grandfather, Norm, we would stop at the local seafood shop in Nambucca Heads on the way. It became a tradition to have seafood on our first night back together.

Seafood chowder was a favourite of his. I would hear him chatting to friends and family on the phone, telling them how much he loved my chowder because it was served in a little bread roll.

There’s something about a good seafood chowder that just warms your soul. This is one I still love making on cold wintery nights, and I always serve it the same way — in individual sourdough rolls. Everyone can tear pieces of bread from the sides and dip them into the creamy chowder as they go. And would you look at that... no plates!

This one is indulgent, comforting and extremely close to my heart. I hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients

• 1 leek, finely sliced into rounds
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 1 carrot, very finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 100–150 g pork belly, finely diced (optional, but delicious)
• 3–4 anchovy fillets
• 50 g butter
• 2 level tbsp plain flour
• 3 cups fish or chicken stock
• ½ cup cream
• 10–12 mussels in shells, debearded and well scrubbed
• 10–12 green prawns, peeled and deveined
• 150 g snapper or other firm white fish, cut into chunks
• 150 g skinless salmon, cut into chunks
• 2 squid tubes, sliced into rings
• ½ cup lemon juice
• ¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
• ¼ cup chives, chopped, to serve
• Salt and cracked black pepper, to season
• 4 medium round sourdough loaves

For the sourdough, you ideally want something between the size of a bread roll and a large loaf — roughly bowl-sized for each person.

Method

1. Prepare your fire. Get your coals ready and place a cooking grate over them at a medium heat. Place your camp oven on the grate and allow it to heat.
2. Build the flavour. Add half the butter to the camp oven, followed by the onion, leek, carrot (optional) and pork belly, if using. Cook gently until the pork belly begins to render and turn golden and the vegetables start to soften. Add the garlic and anchovies and continue cooking, stirring and breaking up the anchovies with your wooden spoon, until they almost disappear into the base. This gives the chowder a beautiful savoury depth without an obvious anchovy flavour.
3. Add the seafood. Gently add prawns, squid and mussels, I then place a whole fillet of fish on top to allow a steam cook. Cover with the lid and cook for around 10 minutes, or until the mussels have opened and the seafood is just cooked through. Discard any mussels that don't open. In this Youtube episode I had left over salmon from a beach cook up and added it.
4. Make the roux. Push everything to the outside of the pot. Add the remaining butter to the centre, then sprinkle over the flour. Using a wooden spoon, quickly work the flour into the melted butter and cook until lightly golden, about 45 seconds. Be careful not to let it burn.
5. Add the cream. Slowly pour in the cream, stirring continuously until smooth and there are no lumps.
6. Add the stock. Gradually pour in the stock while continuing to stir. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 8–10 minutes, until the chowder begins to thicken.
7. Add smoked fish We had left over salmon
8. Finish the chowder. Stir through the lemon juice and parsley, then taste before adding salt — the anchovies, pork belly, mussels and stock may already provide plenty. Finish with cracked black pepper.
9. Prepare the bread bowls. While the seafood cooks, warm the sourdough rolls on the grate. Slice the tops off and scoop out enough of the centre to create individual bread bowls, being careful not to make the walls too thin.
10. Serve. Remove the chowder from the heat and spoon generously into the warmed sourdough bowls. Finish with chopped chives, extra parsley and cracked black pepper.

Notes

Salmon: Skinless salmon can overcook quickly. If you prefer your salmon soft and just cooked through, add it during the final 3–5 minutes rather than with the other seafood.

Stock: If you can, pick up fresh fish stock from your local fish shop. Many make their own, and it gives the chowder a beautiful depth of flavour.

Pork belly: Completely optional, but finely diced pork belly rendered down with the vegetables adds another layer of richness and smokiness to the chowder.

Anchovies: Don't be scared of these! They melt completely into the base and won't make the chowder taste fishy. They're simply there to give it a little extra oomph and a deeper savoury flavour.

Cooking at home: No campfire? This recipe works just as well in a heavy-based pot or Dutch oven over medium heat on the stovetop.