Equipment
Ingredients
Aromatics and Base
- 45 g unsalted butter, room temperature
- 150 g leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced and washed thoroughly
- 100 g yellow onion, finely diced
- 100 g fennel bulb, finely diced
- 3 garlic, minced
Broth and Vegetables
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 750 ml fish stock
- 400 g yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into 1.5 centimeter cubes
- 1 bouquet garni
Seafood and Finishing
- 600 g firm white fish, cut into 4 centimeter pieces
- 150 ml heavy cream, room temperature
- g kosher salt
- g black pepper
- 10 g fresh chives, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 978 kcal
- Protein
- 46 g
- Carbohydrates
- 97 g
- Fat
- 37 g
- Fiber
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 9 g
- Sodium
- 950 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 24 mg
- Potassium
- 1792 mg
- Calcium
- 176 mg
- Iron
- 2.6 mg
- Magnesium
- 86 mg
- Phosphorus
- 207 mg
- Zinc
- 2.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 456 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 15 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.0 mg
- Vitamin K
- 39 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.9 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.0 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.26 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 3.9 mg
- Folate
- 59 mcg
- Water
- 66 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Melt the unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the sliced leeks, diced onion, and diced fennel. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and translucent, about 8 minutes.
Add the minced garlic to the vegetable mixture. Sauté for one minute until highly aromatic, ensuring the garlic does not brown.
Pour the dry white wine into the pot to deglaze. Scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon to release any fond. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half.
Pour in the fish stock, then add the diced potatoes and the bouquet garni. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook until the potatoes are easily pierced with a knife.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Gently slide the chunks of white fish into the simmering broth. Poach the fish until it reaches an internal temperature of 63 degrees Celsius or 145 degrees Fahrenheit.
Carefully stir the heavy cream into the pot, using a gentle folding motion with a wooden spoon to avoid breaking the delicate pieces of fish. Allow the soup to warm through completely, ensuring it does not return to a boil.
Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Taste the broth and season with kosher salt and black pepper as needed.
Ladle the hot chowder into wide, warmed bowls using a ladle. Garnish each serving with a generous pinch of finely chopped fresh chives before serving immediately.
Chef's Notes
- For the most flavorful broth, ask your fishmonger for high-quality fresh fish stock, or make your own using the bones from the white fish.
- Choosing a firm white fish like halibut, haddock, or cod is absolutely crucial. Delicate fish like sole or flounder will completely disintegrate into the soup during the poaching step.
- To naturally enhance the thickness and velvety texture of the broth without using a flour roux, you can purposefully crush a few of the cooked potato cubes against the side of the pot before adding the fish.
- Ensure your heavy cream is brought to room temperature before adding it to the hot soup. Cold cream introduces a temperature shock that increases the likelihood of the dairy separating.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat gently over low heat to prevent the dairy emulsion from breaking.
Troubleshooting
Broth has a grainy, broken, or curdled appearance
Cause: Heavy cream was added to a boiling broth, causing the dairy proteins to separate under high heat.
Fix: Cannot be fixed completely, but serving immediately minimizes the visual impact. The flavor remains unaffected.
Prevention: Always reduce the heat to low before stirring in the cream, and never allow the soup to bubble once dairy is added.
Fish pieces have disintegrated into a mushy texture in the broth
Cause: Soup was stirred too vigorously after adding the fish, or the broth was boiled rapidly instead of gently poached.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Use a gentle folding motion when stirring after the fish is added, and maintain a gentle, barely visible simmer.
Cultural Context
Chaudree is the traditional fish soup of the Charente-Maritime region along the Atlantic coast of France. Originally prepared by fishermen using the unsellable portion of their daily catch, it evolved into a comforting regional staple. Unlike the tomato-heavy Mediterranean bouillabaisse, this Atlantic coastal dish relies on the richness of local dairy, hearty root vegetables, and crisp white wine.
