Miso Fish Chowder

Date Published: Sept 18th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 18th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: soup, mains
Serves: 8 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

This Miso Fish Chowder tastes just like a clam chowder, but is thinner, more brothy, made with fish instead of clams and not as heavy. It’s made with white miso for an umami punch and packs in a ton of flavour.

The original recipe is from NYT Cooking but I’ve made a few changes with addition of ingredients and also doubled the batch because this soup is just so damn good that it always disappears too quickly. My recipe will make enough to serve 8, but feel free to halve the recipe if you like, but this soup freezes incredibly well and is perfect for meal-prep days.

Although this recipe doesn’t have actual clams in it, it does use clam juice as one of its main ingredients. Clam juice is the broth that comes from steaming clams. While it doesn’t sound the most appetizing, it is important in this recipe to get that seafood/clam/umami flavour infused into the soup. There are a couple brands out there, but one of the most popular ones is by Bar Harbor. I found these bad boys at my local Whole Foods near the seafood section for about $4 per bottle.

Anyways, without further ado, here’s the recipe! If you have any comments or suggestions, I’d love to hear from you in the comment section! You can follow me on instagram, youtube and facebook to see all the recipes I post!

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

1kg (2 lbs) skinless white fish fillets (cod or barramundi work well), sliced to 3cm pieces
Pinch of salt
8 slices of bacon, diced
3 Tbsps unsalted butter
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced
Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
2/3 cup (200g) white/shiro miso
1.2kg (2.5 lbs) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm cubes
960ml (4x 8oz bottles) clam juice
4 cups water
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
5 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 can of whole sweet corn kernels, drained
Serve: oyster crackers or crusty bread

Directions:

Add a pinch of salt to both sides of the fish pieces and set aside until ready to use.

In a large soup pot on MED heat, add in the diced bacon and sauté until crispy (~5 minutes) then set aside onto a paper towel-lined plate.

In the same pot, using the residual bacon grease, add in 3 Tbsps butter and stir until melted. Add in the celery, leeks, pinch of salt and pinch of black pepper. Sauté until the celery has softened (~8 minutes).

Next add in the white miso paste and mix well until there are no clumps and sauté for 3 minutes to slightly caramelize the miso.

Add in the potatoes, clam juice, 4 cups water, and 2 sprigs thyme. Mix well, turn the heat on to HIGH to let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and simmer until the potatoes are soft enough to break with a spoon (15 minutes).

Add in the 1 cup heavy cream and the white part of the sliced scallions. Let the soup come to a simmer then add in the fish pieces (from step 1). Continue to simmer until the fish is flakey and cooked (~5 minutes).

Stir in the corn kernels until heated through, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.

To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle on the cooked crispy bacon (from step 2) and the green part of the sliced scallions to garnish. Serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread. Enjoy!

Summarized Recipe:

Miso Fish Chowder

Date Published: Sept 18th, 2025 | Last Updated: Sept 18th, 2025
Author: Abby | Category: soup, mains
Serves: 8 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 45 mins

Ingredients:

1kg (2lbs) skinless white fish fillets (cod or barramundi work well), sliced to 3cm pieces
Pinch of salt
8 slices of bacon, diced
3 Tbsps unsalted butter
3 stalks of celery, diced
2 leeks, white part only, cleaned and sliced
Pinch of fresh ground black pepper
2/3 cup (200g) white/shiro miso
1.2kg (2.5 lbs) potatoes, peeled and cut into 2.5cm cubes
960ml (4x 8oz bottles) clam juice
4 cups water
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 cup heavy cream
5 scallions, sliced, white and green parts separated
1 can of whole sweet corn kernels, drained
Serve: oyster crackers or crusty bread

Directions:

Add a pinch of salt to both sides of the fish pieces and set aside until ready to use.
In a large soup pot on MED heat, add in the diced bacon and sauté until crispy (~5 minutes) then set aside onto a paper towel-lined plate.
In the same pot, using the residual bacon grease, add in 3 Tbsps butter and stir until melted. Add in the celery, leeks, pinch of salt and pinch of black pepper. Sauté until the celery has softened (~8 minutes).
Next add in the white miso paste and mix well until there are no clumps and sauté for 3 minutes to slightly caramelize the miso.
Add in the potatoes, clam juice, 4 cups water, and 2 sprigs thyme. Mix well, turn the heat on to HIGH to let the soup come to a boil, then turn the heat down to LOW and simmer until the potatoes are soft enough to break with a spoon (15 minutes).
Add in the 1 cup heavy cream and the white part of the sliced scallions. Let the soup come to a simmer then add in the fish pieces (from step 1). Continue to simmer until the fish is flakey and cooked (~5 minutes).
Stir in the corn kernels until heated through, then turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle on the cooked crispy bacon (from step 2) and the green part of the sliced scallions to garnish. Serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread. Enjoy!

September 18, 2025September 9, 2025

AbbyLeave a comment

Herb-Crusted White Fish with a Lemon Cream Sauce

Date Published: Dec 17th, 2024 | Last Updated: Dec 17th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: mains, vegetarian, easy, <30 mins, healthy
Serves: 4 | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 20 mins

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Get ready to save this to your repertoire, because this easy one pan herb-crusted baked fish recipe is so simple and quick to put together that you’ll end up with a 5 star dish with loads of flavour in very little time! There’s also minimal clean up, perfect for a busy weeknight dinner (or just those days you just don’t feel like putting in much effort).

The fish is cooked in a rich lemony creamy sauce that melds perfectly with the juices released from the fish while baking and the crust provides the aroma of herbs while giving a crunchy texture that contrasts the soft fish. Feel free to pair it with whatever side you like – I’d recommend something with a crunch such as asparagus or broccolini.

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

4 portions (roughly 750g/1.6lbs) of fillets of any mild white fish, cut to the same size, skinless & boneless (ie. cod, tilapia, halibut, barramundi, sole…etc.) – I use cod but any white fish will do
Salt & pepper
Herb Crust:
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Sauce:
- 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsps lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 – 1 tsp mayonnaise over each fillet
To garnish: fresh parsley, chopped
Serve with: any crunchy vegetable side dish (ie. green beans, cabbage, roasted fennel…etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400˚F/200˚C.

Rinse and pat dry your fish fillets then salt and pepper both sides and set aside.

Make the crumb mixture: In an oven-proof wide base pan*, mix the crumb mixture together: 1/2 cup panko, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt. Toast the mixture in the pan on LOW-MED heat for 3-5 minutes until golden brown then transfer it to a shallow bowl or plate and set aside to let it cool.

Make the sauce: In the same pan you used to toast the breadcrumbs, melt the 1 stick of butter on LOW-MED heat. Then add in the minced onion, and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant. Next add the 1/2 cup heavy cream, 3 Tbsps Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsps lemon juice, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix everything around and taste to adjust salt, pepper, and lemon as needed. Turn off the heat. Don’t worry if your sauce tastes a bit too strong at this point, it will mellow out once you bake it with the fish.

Crumb the fish: Apply a thin layer of mayonnaise onto one side of each fish fillet (~1/2 – 1 tsp of mayonnaise depending on the size of your fillet), then place the fillet mayonnaise-side down into the toasted crumb mixture (from step 3) and gently press down to get the crumb mixture to stick to the fish. Place the fillet crumb side up into the sauce in the pan (from step 4). Repeat with the rest of the fillets until they are all crumbed.

Bake in the preheated oven until the fish is fully cooked (~10-15 minutes for a 2cm thick fillet). The fish is done when it is no longer translucent and flakey, or the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 145°F/63°C.

While the fish is baking, you can prepare a quick side dish such as blanched green beans or steamed broccoli. I recommend something crunchy to contrast the soft texture of the fish.

Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley overtop the fish before serving and pair with the vegetable side dish of choice. Enjoy!

*Note: if you don’t have an oven-proof pan, make everything in a regular pan and pour the sauce into a 9×13″ baking dish and lay the fish overtop.

Summarized Recipe:

Herb-Crusted White Fish with a Lemon Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

4 portions (roughly 750g/1.6lbs) of fillets of any mild white fish, cut to the same size, skinless & boneless (ie. cod, tilapia, halibut, barramundi, sole…etc.) – I use cod but any white fish will do
Salt & pepper
Herb Crust:
- 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Pinch of salt
Sauce:
- 113g (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup yellow onion, finely minced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 2 Tbsps lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/2 – 1 tsp mayonnaise over each fillet
To garnish: fresh parsley, chopped
Serve with: any crunchy vegetable side dish (ie. green beans, cabbage, roasted fennel…etc.)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400˚F/200˚C.
Rinse and pat dry your fish fillets then salt and pepper both sides and set aside.
Make the crumb mixture:
- In an oven-proof wide base pan*, mix the crumb mixture together: 1/2 cup panko, 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning, 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt.
- Toast the mixture in the pan on LOW-MED heat for 3-5 minutes until golden brown then transfer it to a shallow bowl or plate and set aside to let it cool.
Make the sauce:
- In the same pan you used to toast the breadcrumbs, melt the 1 stick of butter on LOW-MED heat.
- Then add in the minced onion, and garlic and sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Next add the 1/2 cup heavy cream, 3 Tbsps Dijon mustard, 2 Tbsps lemon juice, 1/4 tsp ground black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix everything around and taste to adjust salt, pepper, and lemon as needed. Turn off the heat.
- Don’t worry if your sauce tastes a bit too strong at this point, it will mellow out once you bake it with the fish.
Crumb the fish:
- Apply a thin layer of mayonnaise onto one side of each fish fillet (~1/2 – 1 tsp of mayonnaise depending on the size of your fillet), then place the fillet mayonnaise-side down into the toasted crumb mixture (from step 3) and gently press down to get the crumb mixture to stick to the fish.
- Place the fillet crumb side up into the sauce in the pan (from step 4). Repeat with the rest of the fillets until they are all crumbed.
Bake in the preheated oven until the fish is fully cooked (~10-15 minutes for a 2cm thick fillet). The fish is done when it is no longer translucent and flakey, or the internal temperature reaches a minimum of 145°F/63°C.
- While the fish is baking, you can prepare a quick side dish such as blanched green beans or steamed broccoli. I recommend something crunchy to contrast the soft texture of the fish.
Sprinkle fresh chopped parsley overtop the fish before serving and pair with the vegetable side dish of choice. Enjoy!

*Note: if you don’t have an oven-proof pan, make everything in a regular pan and pour the sauce into a 9×13″ baking dish and lay the fish overtop.

December 17, 2024December 10, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment

Cantonese Fried Fish with a Corn Gravy (粟米斑塊)

Date Published: April 14th, 2024 | Last Updated: April 14th, 2024
Author: Abby |Category: Asian, easy, mains
Serves: 4-6 (1 large plate) | Prep time: 20 mins | Cook time: 30 mins

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This dish a wrapped in nostalgia for me. It’s fried fish fillet pieces with a cornstarch/egg/corn gravy drizzled over top. It’s a savoury dish with a little sweetness in the sauce. Serve over a bed of jasmine rice and some veggies.

When our family first moved to Canada from Taiwan, there were limited options of Asian restaurants and grocery stores in our neighbourhood at the time. I remembered my mom always went to the same small Asian grocery store and beside it was a little Asian restaurant called ‘New Asia’. It was a small place with no more than 4-5 tables, each with a thick layer of disposable white plastic tablecloths on top. We’d either dine-in or mom would occasionally get takeaway to bring home after a visit to the grocery store next door. On one dine-in occasion, I must’ve been about 8-9 years old at the time, it was a quiet wintery night and there was only one other table apart from ours at the restaurant. My mom was taking care of us 3 kids on her own and suddenly the older white couple at the other table came over to us and gave us their order of corn fish that had just arrived at their table. They said it was really good and we had to try it. I thought it was really random that these strangers were offering us part of their dinner, but my mom didn’t want to be rude so she accepted it. There is a lot of similarity and overlap in Taiwanese/Chinese/Cantonese cuisine, but I had never seen corn fish before. It looked like a weird plate of corn goop over fish and at first we were skeptical, but we all tried it and it was AMAZING! Ever since then, that corn fish dish became one of our favourite items to order. Sadly, that restaurant has since closed down (ages ago, actually) and I had forgotten all about that dish until in recent years I was walking past a Cantonese restaurant in Melbourne and they had their menu with blown up photos pasted all over their windows and surprisingly, corn fish was one of the photos! It brought me right back to those childhood days eating this dish with my mom and siblings.

This recipe has been on my to-cook list for a while and I have no idea why it took me so long to actually attempt it, but it’s actually so much easier than I thought and it cooks up quickly. I’m proud to be adding this to my recipe collection. 😊

Happy cooking!

Ingredients you’ll need:

Fish marinade:
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch
- 1 green onion, minced
- 800g boneless, skinless white fish fillets (ie. cod, haddock, tilapia, sole, pollock)
4 cups of neutral oil for frying (ie. vegetable oil, canola oil)
Breading:
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
Creamy Corn Gravy:
- 3/4 tsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 can (418g) creamed corn/cream style corn
- 1/4 tsp chicken stock powder
- 1 egg, beaten
Salt and black pepper to taste
Garnish (optional): sliced green onion

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry the fish and slice it into 2 inch pieces. Set aside.

Marinate the fish: In a bowl, mix together the salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and green onion. Add in the sliced fish and mix well, ensuring every piece is coated. Be careful not to break the fish when you mix. Set aside and let it marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Prepare the breading: Beat the eggs into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch.

Heat the oil in a small pot. Once the oil starts to shimmer or if it sizzles when you add in a bit of flour, it’s ready for frying.

Bread and deep fry the fish: When the oil is nearly hot enough, start breading the fish. First coat the fish in the beaten egg (prepared in step 3), then coat it in the flour and cornstarch mixture.

Gently drop the breaded fish pieces one at a time into the hot oil. Only add enough to not overcrowd the pot, roughly 6-7 pieces per batch. Move the pieces around, making sure they’re not sticking to each other and not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the outside is slightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish from the oil and let it cool on a rack. Repeat this process until all of the fish is fried. Once all of the fish have been fried, fry them all a second time for 2 minutes per batch, starting from the most cooled batch first. This will make the fish extra crispy. Once finished, turn off the heat and set the fried fish aside on the cooling rack while you prepare the corn gravy.

Make the corn gravy: In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water, ensuring there are no lumps. Set aside.

In a saucepan on MED heat, add a small drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the creamed corn, chicken stock powder, and the cornstarch/water mixture. Whisk everything well and let the sauce come to a boil. Turn the heat down and drizzle the beaten egg into the sauce. Slowly mix it around until the egg is cooked. You want swirls of cooked egg, so don’t over mix it. Once the egg has cooked, turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to taste.

Finishing touches: To serve, put the fried fish pieces onto a serving plate and pour the hot corn gravy over top. Garnish with sliced green onion. Serve immediately with a side of rice. Done!

Summarized Recipe:

Cantonese Fried Fish with a Corn Gravy (粟米斑塊)

Ingredients:

Fish marinade:
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
- 2 Tbsps cornstarch
- 1 green onion, minced
- 800g boneless, skinless white fish fillets (ie. cod, haddock, tilapia, sole, pollock)
4 cups of neutral oil for frying (ie. vegetable oil, canola oil)
Breading:
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup corn starch
Creamy Corn Gravy:
- 3/4 tsp cornstarch
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 can (418g) creamed corn/cream style corn
- 1/4 tsp chicken stock powder
- 1 egg, beaten
Salt and black pepper to taste
Garnish (optional): sliced green onion

Directions:

Rinse and pat dry the fish and slice it into 2 inch pieces. Set aside.
Marinate the fish: In a bowl, mix together the salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and green onion. Add in the sliced fish and mix well, ensuring every piece is coated. Be careful not to break the fish when you mix. Set aside and let it marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature.
Prepare the breading: Beat the eggs into a bowl and set aside. In another bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch.
Heat the oil in a small pot. Once the oil starts to shimmer or if it sizzles when you add in a bit of flour, it’s ready for frying.
Bread and deep fry the fish: When the oil is nearly hot enough, start breading the fish. First coat the fish in the beaten egg (prepared in step 3), then coat it in the flour and cornstarch mixture. Gently drop the breaded fish pieces one at a time into the hot oil. Only add enough to not overcrowd the pot, roughly 6-7 pieces per batch. Move the pieces around, making sure they’re not sticking to each other and not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the outside is slightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the fish from the oil and let it cool on a rack. Repeat this process until all of the fish is fried. Once all of the fish have been fried, fry them all a second time for 2 minutes per batch, starting from the most cooled batch first. This will make the fish extra crispy. Once finished, turn off the heat and set the fried fish aside on the cooling rack while you prepare the corn gravy.
Make the corn gravy: In a small bowl, mix together the cornstarch and water, ensuring there are no lumps. Set aside. In a saucepan on MED heat, add a small drizzle of oil and sauté the garlic for 1 minute until fragrant. Add in the creamed corn, chicken stock powder, and the cornstarch/water mixture. Whisk everything well and let the sauce come to a boil. Turn the heat down and drizzle the beaten egg into the sauce. Slowly mix it around until the egg is cooked. You want swirls of cooked egg, so don’t over mix it. Once the egg has cooked, turn off the heat. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper to taste.
Finishing touches: To serve, put the fried fish pieces onto a serving plate and pour the hot corn gravy over top. Garnish with sliced green onion. Serve immediately with a side of rice. Done!

April 14, 2024

AbbyLeave a comment