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New England Cod Chowder Recipe With Thyme Biscuits (Cape Cod National Seashore)

By: Author Bram Reusen

Posted on Last updated:

New England cod chowder recipe inspired by: Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts (alternatively: Acadia National Park)

In addition to Boston cream pie, Maine lobster rolls, johnnycakes, fried clams and red flannel hash, fish chowder is one of the most quintessentially “New England” dishes.

There’s no better pairing of dish and park than this Cape Cod National Seashore-inspired New England cod chowder recipe!

Now a super-popular summer holiday destination, the arm-shaped peninsula of Cape Cod has been a fishing center for centuries.

As its name suggests, cod are abundant in its surrounding waters, as are other fish like haddock, striped bass and bluefish.

See the National Park Service website for information about fishing in Cape Cod National Seashore.

This traditional New England cod chowder features flaky chunks of cod, soft potatoes and hint of thyme. It’s a deliciously creamy chowder that’ll transport you straight to Cape Cod (or Acadia National Park).

Originally, oyster crackers are the go-to accompaniment for New England fish chowder. In this recipe, however, we’re making our very own healthy thyme biscuits!

Cape Cod chowder recipe with thyme biscuits

New England Cod Chowder With Thyme Biscuits

  • Prep time: 20 minutes
  • Cook time: 40 minutes
  • Total time: 60 minutes
  • Servings: 4
  • Calories per serving: 799

This cod chowder recipe is super-easy to make. It doesn’t involve much more than chopping and prepping your ingredients, then adding them to a soup pot, stirring a few times and waiting until everything is ready.

The thyme biscuits, too, are a breeze to make. Mix the ingredients in a bowl, divide the dough into individual portions and bake them in the oven. Couldn’t be much easier!

This recipe makes four bowls of Cape Cod chowder, as well as eight thyme biscuits (two biscuits per bowl).

Bowls of New England cod chowder

This Cape Cod National Seashore-inspired recipe for New England cod chowder contains affiliate links. You can read more about our Terms of Use / Disclosure here.

Necessary Kitchen Tools

New England cod chowder with thyme drop biscuits recipe
Yield: 4 servings

New England Cape Cod Chowder Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour

Inspired by the fish-and-seafood-rich waters of Cape Cod National Seashore, Massachusetts, this creamy New England cod chowder recipe is accompanied by healthy thyme drop biscuits.

Ingredients

Cod Chowder

  • 2 6-oz cod fillets
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 4 medium potatoes, diced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh chives, sliced (for garnish)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper

Thyme Biscuits

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
  • 1 egg

Instructions

New England Cod Chowder

  1. Add two tablespoons butter and one tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil to a large soup pot. Heat over medium-high until butter is melted.
  2. Add onions and stir until translucent, about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the potatoes, bay leaf and thyme to the pot. Stir and pour in enough water to cover the potatoes and onions, about 4 cups. Cover and boil over medium-low heat until potatoes are fork-tender, about 10-12 minutes.
  4. Place cod fillets on top of the potatoes. Pour in the half-and-half and simmer, partially covered, over medium-low until cod is flaky, 15 minutes or so. Don't stir in the meantime and make sure the soup doesn't come to a rolling boil.
  5. When potatoes are completely soft and cod is flaky, season generously with salt and pepper, add nutmeg and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter.
  6. Mix thoroughly, breaking up the cod into bitesize pieces.
  7. Whisk the tablespoon of all-purpose flour in a cup with a bit of water. Pour into the chowder to thicken it. Stir well. If the chowder is still too thin to your liking, repeat this with another tablespoon of flour.
  8. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to your liking.
  9. Ladle New England cod chowder into bowls and sprinkle with freshly chopped chives.
  10. Serve with biscuits and enjoy!

Thyme Drop Biscuits

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Combine the all-purpose flour, baking powder, sugar, cream of tartar, thyme and salt in a large mixing bowl.
  3. Add yogurt to the bowl and mix with a silicone spatula until you get a dry dough.
  4. Use lightly moistened hands to make eight flattened balls, known as drop biscuits. They don't have to be perfectly round at all. Arrange them on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet.
  5. Whisk the egg in a cup with a teaspoon of water to make an egg wash.
  6. Brush the tops of the biscuits with the egg wash.
  7. Bake in the oven until they're golden brown, about 15 minutes.
  8. Serve hot with New England cod chowder.

Notes

Note 1: To make sure both the Cape Cod chowder and thyme drop biscuits are ready at the same time, you should prepare and start baking the biscuits during step 4 of the cod chowder recipe above (while the cod simmers).

Note 2: Instead of cod chowder, you can also make this a slightly different New England fish chowder by swapping the cod for other whitefish like sea bass or haddock.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 799Total Fat 26gSaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 155mgSodium 888mgCarbohydrates 100gFiber 6gSugar 13gProtein 42g

A general nutrition calculator was used to determine the nutritional information of this recipe, which is meant solely as an indication of the dish's nutritional values. Depending on specific ingredients, quantities used and/or serving size, the ultimate dish you end up making may have different nutritional aspects. Please consider the information provided here only as guidance and not as an absolute fact.

© Bram
Cuisine: Soups and Stews / Category: Soup & Chowder Recipes
Cape Cod inspired New England cod chowder recipe with thyme drop biscuits
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