Nova Scotia Seafood Chowder

Seafood chowder plays a big part in my Maritime heritage (as do Nova Scotia oatcakes and Nova Scotia blueberry grunt). Rich, creamy, and hearty, my parents have argued this is not a traditional recipe for Nova Scotia seafood chowder because I use 35% heavy cream instead of canned evaporated milk, and I make it with bacon and dill. Either way, it’s delicious and everyone who makes it or tries it loves it.

Once the ingredients are prepped, the soup is quick to come together—about 35 minutes. You can use any seafood you like or have on hand—fresh or frozen—however, I don’t recommend adding salmon as the flavor can sometimes overpower the other fish. Once you make this easy East Coast classic from scratch it will be hard to go back to any other version!

💞Why You’ll Love This Recipe

✔️ It’s a delicious way to showcase your favorite seafood.
✔️ You can make it one pot for easy clean up.
✔️ It’s a simple recipe that always impresses guests!

📋Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

• 35% Whipping Cream—also called heavy cream.
• Lobster—must be pre-cooked.
• Bacon—thick cut bacon holds up nicely. I sometimes use double smoked bacon for extra flavor.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Seafood—You can use any fresh, frozen, or thawed frozen seafood you like or have on hand.
• Dill—parsley is a fresh-tasting substitute for dill.
• 35% Whipping Cream—you can swap in 18% coffee cream or even 10% blend (also called half and half) for the whipping cream.

👩‍🍳Step-By-Step Instructions

STEP 1—dry the scallops between sheets of paper towel. Cook the bacon in a heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it’s almost crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.

STEP 2—keep the bacon grease hot over medium-high heat. Use tongs to place the scallops in the pot. Cook until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the scallops from the pot and set aside.

STEP 3—add the water, potatoes, carrots, and half of the salt to the pot. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any stuck on bits from the bottom of the pot. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender.

STEP 4—pour the cream into the pot. Bring the chowder back to a simmer and continue to cook for 10 minutes.

STEP 5—add the haddock, lobster, and shrimp to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes.

STEP 6—add the cooked bacon bits, chives, dill, pepper, and remaining salt to the pot.

STEP 7—stir well, and adjust the seasoning to suit your taste. Ladle the chowder into bowls making sure each serving gets a fair share of seafood! Top each bowl with pan-seared scallops, and a sprinkle of fresh dill. Serve hot with fresh rolls or biscuits.

🗣Expert Tips

1. Take your seafood chowder to the next level and make lobster stock! See the recipe notes for how to do this.
2. Stir a teaspoon or two of Old Bay seasoning, or finely grated lemon zest into the pot before serving.
3. Add a tin of canned clams, including the juice, to the chowder when you add the seafood.

📝Recipe Notes

• Look for seafood when it’s on sale and freeze for later.
• Cook as many scallops as you want to serve per bowl.
• I prefer the look and taste of pan-seared scallops but you can add them directly to the pot when you add the other seafood if you want.
• After you add the fish to the chowder, stir it gently, especially if using haddock as it tends to fall apart easily.
• Seafood chowder tastes better the second day. Resting the soup overnight allows all of the flavors to fully infuse. I’d even argue the chowder tastes best the third day!

How To Make Lobster Stock

Lobster stock is a simple way to take your seafood chowder to the next level! I use it in place of water.

1. Remove all meat from a cooked lobster.
2. Place the empty shells and body on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake the shells for 20 minutes at 450ºF (230ºC).
3. Place the roasted shells in a pot, cover them with water, and gently boil for one hour. Top with more water if needed.
4. Strain out the shells, and reserve the liquid to use as your chowder base instead of water. Proceed with the recipe as written.

Storage

• To Store—keep your chowder in a plastic or glass container with an airtight lid in the fridge for up to three days.
• To Reheat—ladle portions into bowls or into a small pot and gently heat on half power in the microwave, or over medium-low heat in a pot on the stovetop until steamy.
• Freezing—I don’t recommend freezing chowder.