Newfoundland Cod Chowder

Ingredients

• 4 slices Bacon
• 2 Onions
• 1 tsp Savoury
• 6 Potatoes
• 3 Carrots
• 1.5 lbs Cod Fillets
• 1 can Evaporated Milk
• 2 tbsp Fresh Parsley or Chives

Method

Render the bacon first over medium-high heat, 8–10 minutes, until the edges curl and the fat renders fully — you're after crisp, shattered pieces that add texture and salt to the final bowl. Set aside and reserve 1 tablespoon of the fat in the pan; discard the rest.

Soften the onions in that reserved fat over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until they turn translucent and lose their raw bite. Add the savoury (a savoury herb common to Maritime cooking, closer to thyme in its dried-herb intensity) and stir through for 30 seconds to bloom it. The herb releases its volatile oils and distributes flavour more evenly than adding it later.

Dice the potatoes and carrots into roughly 1 cm pieces — uniform size matters here because they'll finish cooking at the same moment, avoiding waterlogged potato and still-firm carrot. Cover them with cold salted water, bring to a rolling boil uncovered, then reduce to a gentle simmer. After 15–18 minutes the potatoes should yield easily to a fork but still hold their shape; don't let them collapse into starch soup. This is simmering at its most useful — active enough to cook through evenly, gentle enough to keep the broth clear rather than cloudy.

Cut the cod into 2 cm chunks — slightly larger than the original recipe's 1-inch specification, because fish-cookery demands respect for delicate tissue. Add the fish directly to the simmering vegetables and poach for 4–5 minutes. The flesh will turn opaque and lose any translucence when the proteins denature; resist the urge to stir aggressively or the pieces will shred. Pour in the evaporated milk (which has already lost much of its water content, so it adds richness without diluting the broth) and white pepper, then warm through without boiling — you want 75°C, enough to heat the fish through without curdling the milk.

Finish by scattering the crisp bacon and fresh parsley or chives over each bowl. The herbs' fresh sharpness cuts against the richness of the milk and rendered fat, and the bacon's salt and crispness prevents the chowder from becoming one-note creamy.