Instant Pot New England Fish Chowder

Pull out your multi-cooker for this refreshing, lighter take on a beloved classic. The thyme-infused broth is still comforting but without feeling heavy from a roux or heavy cream. The stock is chock-full of vegetables like tender potatoes, smoky leeks sautéed in bacon fat, and sweet yellow corn. I used cod, a neutral-tasting, firm fish that blends nicely when layered with all the aromatics. As with most dishes, the cod tasted even better the next day. 

After prepping the vegetables, the cooking time is mostly hands-free thanks to a quick 3-minute high pressure zap.  Note that it takes time for the cooker to come to temperature and to build pressure. Using a multicooker is not exactly “instant” but you can take advantage of the extra time. I found myself setting the table and washing up. After quick pressure release and turning off your pot, the cod fillets are poached by the remaining steam, leaving your fish delicately cooked in minutes. 

Integral to the finish is the crisped bacon and minced chive garnishes, adding a finishing layer of flavor right before serving. This chowder graced our table for two nights – just be sure to have enough of the chive and bacon for both nights. Rave!

What an absolutely fabulous chowder! We tend to shy away from heavy cream-based soups so there was some resistance to trying this chowder. And what a lovely surprise this was. It was not heavy but delightfully light, feeling almost healthy to eat. We all loved the big chunks of perfectly cooked cod, tender potatoes, and delicate broth. The spicing for us was perfect. The bacon added a nice finish to our bowls. We got 6 generous servings from this recipe. We heartily recommend this delicious chowder to everyone.

Yum…just thick enough, creamy, and delicious. This Instant Pot New England fish chowder was a welcome change that delivered all the flavor with less fat than other cream-laden versions. The bacon garnish was a deliciously salty contrast to the sweet corn and leeks, and the starch from the potatoes, plus a little cornstarch, added just the right level of thickness.

Pepper is another component of this dish that really works. It adds a nice heat that perks up the blander flavors of the cod and potatoes. I’m not a fan of second-day fish, but this soup tasted just as good on night two as it did on the first. My one and only issue is with the size of the potatoes. If I make this again, I’ll cut them larger to avoid overcooking. Their small size and partial disintegration may have contributed to the soup’s thickness and creaminess, but resulted in potatoes that were mushy.

If you’re looking for a chowder that has all the flavor of traditional chowder but is much lighter in texture and just a little bit creamy, this Instant Pot New England fish chowder will work for you.

My only suggestion would be to check on the seasoning throughout as the recipe includes only a teaspoon of salt and a half teaspoon of ground pepper until the end when you can season to taste. Adding seasoning at the end is never as good as seasoning along as you cook to ensure that the seasonings are well-incorporated, and the flavor of each component is brought through. We went along with the recipe instructions assuming there would be some saltiness coming from the bacon and the fish, but it wasn’t nearly enough.

Next time, I think it would be a good idea to actually season the fish on both sides before it is added at the end and to taste the soup at various intervals to be sure the flavors are well-developed. Other than that, this is a fine version of New England Fish Chowder and would do nicely as a starter course or a meal.

This Instant Pot New England fish chowder recipe sounded too good to be true AND it used the Instant Pot, so I was intrigued. Poaching the cod off heat is brilliant; it was perfectly cooked. It’s easy (think mid-week-dinner easy) and it’s filling, without being heavy. We enjoyed a few kinds of cheese and some crusty sourdough on the side. A steaming bowl will deliciously chase the winter chill from your bones! This recipe is definitely a keeper. Much of the prep work can be done while the Instant Pot is heating up and the bacon is frying. The potatoes were perfectly done but still held their shape.  The cornstarch barely thickened the chowder, but because it was so thick, it was perfect.

This recipe creates a classic New England fish chowder (or chowdah): creamy but not overly so, chock-full of fish, potatoes, and corn. Without the heavy cream, it was a little healthier than the usual chowder. We loved it. I was on the fence on the thickness of the broth: I’ve had nice, thick, and rich broth and thin, juicy broth and they both are good. This one is on the thin, juicy side. I might add a little more cornstarch to the milk next time, but if I forget, that would be OK. The crispy bacon bits as a garnish took it over the top.

Using the Instant Pot was a great way to get the dish to the table quickly and I liked the idea of poaching the fish in the liquid. After releasing the steam and adding the milk/cornstarch mixture, I kept the pot on until the liquid boiled, rather than just one minute, to enhance the thickening function. Not sure it worked because my broth remained on the thin side. I liked the idea of poaching the fish, which resulted in nice, flaky chunks. Speaking of salt, I felt like the dish needed a little more than the 1 teaspoon salt the recipe called for. Another dash or two would’ve been perfect.