Bermuda fish chowder is a

chowder Chowder is a thick soup prepared with milk or cream, a roux, and seafood or vegetables. Oyster crackers or saltines may accompany chowders as a side item, and cracker pieces may be dropped atop the dish. New England clam chowder is typically ...

soup that is considered the national dish of

Bermuda ) , anthem = "God Save the King" , song_type = National song , song = "Hail to Bermuda" , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , mapsize2 = , map_caption2 = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = , es ...

. Its basic ingredients are

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of ...

, tomatoes and onions, seasoned with black rum and "sherry peppers sauce". The recipe is believed to have been developed by the 17th century British colonizers of Bermuda.

Recipes

The basic ingredients of Bermuda fish chowder are

stock, fish fillets, and tomato puree. Other ingredients are typically vegetables and herbs and spices. There are many variations spun off of the basic ingredients. One recipe uses one cup of chopped onion,

celery Celery (''Apium graveolens'') is a marshland plant in the family Apiaceae that has been cultivated as a vegetable since antiquity. Celery has a long fibrous stalk tapering into leaves. Depending on location and cultivar, either its stalks, ...

, and carrot as well as diced pork hocks and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. Another uses white fish fillets (either

cod Cod is the common name for the demersal fish genus '' Gadus'', belonging to the family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gadus'' is commonly not call ...

grouper Groupers are fish of any of a number of genera in the subfamily Epinephelinae of the family Serranidae, in the order Perciformes. Not all serranids are called "groupers"; the family also includes the sea basses. The common name "grouper" is ...

tilefish 250px, Blue blanquillo, ''Malacanthus latovittatus'' Tilefishes are mostly small perciform marine fish comprising the family Malacanthidae. They are usually found in sandy areas, especially near coral reefs. Commercial fisheries exist for th ...

, or snapper), onions, carrots, celery, minced garlic, unsalted butter, bay leaf,

thyme Thyme () is the herb (dried aerial parts) of some members of the genus '' Thymus'' of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus ''Origanum'', with both plants being mostly indigen ...

, allspice, Worcestershire sauce, black rum and sherry pepper sauce. Other types of fish can be used like rock fish or

sea bass Sea bass is a common name for a variety of different species of marine fish. Many fish species of various families have been called sea bass. In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the fish sold and consumed as sea bass is exclusively the European ...

. The consistency of Bermuda fish chowder is much lighter than

s that are thickened with milk or cream. It is sometimes compared with

bouillabaisse Bouillabaisse (; oc, bolhabaissa, bullabessa ) is a traditional Provençal fish stew originating in the port city of Marseille. The French and English form ''bouillabaisse'' comes from the Provençal Occitan word ''bolhabaissa'', a compound ...

Traditional condiments

Traditional recipes are seasoned with black rum, and "sherry peppers sauce", a

hot sauce Hot sauce is a type of condiment, seasoning, or salsa made from chili peppers and other ingredients. Many commercial varieties of mass-produced hot sauce exist. History Humans have used chili peppers and other hot spices for thousands of ye ...

made of

pimento A pimiento or pimento (or cherry pepper) is a variety of large, red, heart-shaped chili pepper ('' Capsicum annuum'') that measures 3 to 4 in (7 to 10 cm) long and 2 to 3 in (5 to 7 cm) wide (medium, elongate). Pimientos can have vari ...

s marinated in

sherry Sherry ( es, jerez ) is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the city of Jerez de la Frontera in Andalusia, Spain. Sherry is produced in a variety of styles made primarily from the Palomino grape, ranging from light versi ...

and spices. Locally manufactured Outerbridge's Original Sherry Peppers Sauce is one of Bermuda's few exports. It is said that Bermuda fish chowder must include Outerbridge's sauce. Black Seal Rum made by Bermudan distiller Gosling Brothers is also considered the traditional rum to flavour the soup.

History

It is believed that the recipe was developed by 17th century British colonizers. Sherry peppers sauce is also a Bermudan tradition dating from that period. Called "peppers wine", it was used by sailors to make spoiled food more palatable.

References

{{reflist

External links

Bermuda’s Fish Chowder
from WestJet Airlines' magazine
Bermuda fish chowder description
from

Frommer's Frommer's is a travel guide book series created by Arthur Frommer in 1957. Frommer's has since expanded to include more than 350 guidebooks in 14 series, as well as other media including an eponymous radio show and a website. In 2017, the compan ...

2011 Bermuda travel guide
Recipe
from the

Gosling's Rum Gosling Brothers Limited is a Bermudan company primarily concerned with blending and distributing rum, importing and distributing spirits on the island, and maintaining a retail presence. History In early 1806 James Gosling set out from England wi ...

website. Fish and seafood soups Bermudian cuisine National dishes

Recipes

Traditional condiments

History

See also

References

External links