PEI Potato Mussel Chowder

A chef’s recipe for potato mussel chowder recipe. It’s easy to make, but not diet friendly. Yet no one will care because it’s so good.

Mussel chowder is synonymous with Prince Edward Island on the East Coast of Canada. 

Many people think of the East coast as one homogenous region it couldn’t be more wrong.

Yes it’s a tiny population.

In fact Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia share one area code. But they do not share the same chowder recipe.

I still make my grandmother’s Nova Scotia seafood chowder but it doesn’t include mussels.

This mussel chowder recipe is unique to Prince Edward Island – a small island where there are a significant number of locals who have never left.

Fish Soup vs Chowder

Every great seaside town around the world has some kind of fisherman’s stew, in Peru there’s sudado, in Bahia there’s a Brazilian shrimp soup and of course Italy has cioppino,

But chowder is different. Chowders almost always use milk or cream.

Although I have no idea why the Manhattan clam chowder or Bermuda fish chowder are labeled chowder.

Without cream it’s really a clam soup. I guess every rule needs its exceptions.

There are few dishes that I could call Canadian food but chowder is such a stamp in my childhood I would call it the dish of the Maritimes.

Chowder is serious on the East Coast. A restaurant has a very difficult time answering to locals if it’s not on the menu.

Most cafes serve it and and there’s almost always an option for a cup vs a bowl. If you’re like my mother you’ll always choose the cup of chowder and 1/2 sandwich combo.

It is such a a staple growing up although I fear the tradition of making it at home is dying with our grandparents.

It was one of the first things I learned to make in university, I simply needed to pick up “chowder mix” in the seafood section of our grocery store.

Chowder mix is simply fish and seafood scraps but these scraps make it affordable.  

When I first moved to Toronto I searched far and wide for chowder mix but it does not exist here.
 
 

Origins of Mussel Chowder

No one seems to know where the term chowder came from.

Wikipedia appears to have the most logical guess that evolved from the thick fish soup chaudrée (sometimes spelled chauderée).

It is a type of thick fish soup from from the coast of France.

This makes sense as the East coast was first settled by the French and many of our traditional dishes are French influenced.

In the Maritimes chowder is fish, seafood or both with potatoes, celery, carrot and onions.

It’s really quite simple.

I have never seen clams or corn in a chowder seems to be more a New England style chowder.

I’m a traditionalist but the idea of corn in my chowder makes me shudder.
 

 
Although I grew up on chowder it was an everyday version, usually made with 2% milk.

At Christmas my sister proclaimed at Christmas Dave ruined her forever. No chowder was as good as his.

The secret is a lot of butter, cream and pancetta.

You can modify the recipe to not use pancetta for pescatarians. It’s still great but really the pancetta takes it to the next level. Remember bacon is magic.

This is such an easy dish for entertaining as you can make it in advance.

Pro tip: if you’re going to reheat the chowder wait to add the cooked mussels. Otherwise they may overcook and lose firmness.

Don’t forget chowder needs carbs. Serve buttermilk biscuits, great bread rolls or go retro diner style and give everyone a pack of saltine crackers.

If you’re serving wine a traditional chardonnay pairs well with the creaminess of chowder or you could balance it with a sauvignon blanc that has a mineral, grassy finish.

PEI Potato Mussel Chowder

I love this mussel chowder recipe because it’s simple and inexpensive but so decadent and filling.

You will not walk away from a bowl of mussel chowder wishing you had more.

If anything you’ll wish you had more room in your stomach.

My grandmother passed a few years ago but stamped in my memory is Friday chowder in bowls with mug handles on them and brightly coloured balloons.

But what makes me smile the most is that my grandmother didn’t like recipes to change so even though this mussel chowder is incredible, I know she’d turn her nose up at it.

Continue to Content

Potato Mussel Chowder

Yield: 10 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Creamy mussel chowder from the East Coast.

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Ingredients

• 3 lbs mussels
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 3 sprigs thyme fresh
• 1/4 lb pancetta small diced
• 3 large carrots small diced
• 4 stalks celery small diced
• 2 medium onions small diced
• 4 large potatoes medium diced
• 1 lb butter unsalted
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 lb haddock cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 L whole milk
• 1 L heavy cream 35%
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp chives chopped

Instructions

1. Wash and scrub mussels free of beards and dirt.
2. Add mussels to large pot with white wine, garlic and thyme. Steam for 5-7 minutes or until all mussels are open.
3. Strain mussels from pot saving every drop of the mussel broth.
4. Shuck mussels from shell and keep chilled, discard any mussels that don’t open.
5. In a large heavy bottom pot, add pancetta and begin to cook over medium heat to release fat. 6. Add carrots, celery and onions to pot and sweat for 3-5 mins.
6. Add potatoes and cook for additional 3 minutes.
7. Add butter and melt completely.
8. Add flour and mix to create a roux. Cook roux until it smells like toasted butter about 3-5 mins.
9. Add the mussel broth and whisk to break up the roux.
10. Add milk and cream and continue whisk over med heat to cook roux and remove any flour flavour.
11. Reduce heat to low and cook for 30 mins to cook vegetables all the way through, stirring every few minutes to avoid scorching.
12. When chowder has thickened add mussels and haddock into chowder
13. Season to taste and finish with chopped chives and other greens. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 14 Serving Size: 1 Amount Per Serving: Calories: 864Total Fat: 63gSaturated Fat: 38gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 21gCholesterol: 211mgSodium: 340mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 3gSugar: 12gProtein: 26g

Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. This information comes from online calculators. Although BaconisMagic.ca attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures are only estimates.

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Other Seafood Chowders and Soups You’ll Love

Brazilian Shrimp Soup

Prince Edward Island Seafood Chowder

Traditional Nova Scotia Chowder

Sudado: Peruvian Fish Soup