Recipes Soups Cream Soups Chowder Seafood-and-Seaweed Chowder Be the first to rate & review! A combination of dry hard cider and dried seaweed brings a sweet, mild salinity to the stock, making it ideal for precooking the mussels and clams before using it as the base of the chowder. By JP McMahon Updated on August 2, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Caitlin Bensel Active Time: 1 hr 15 mins Total Time: 2 hrs 15 mins Yield: 6 to 8 Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients STOCK 3 tablespoons canola oil 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped 2 medium carrots, finely chopped 2 medium celery stalks, finely chopped 1 1/2 cups (12 ounces) dry hard cider 7 cups water 1 1/2 ounces dried kelp or kombu 10 thyme sprigs 5 medium garlic cloves 3 fresh bay leaves 1 1/2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded 1 1/2 pounds littleneck clams, scrubbed CHOWDER 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium-size yellow onion, finely chopped into small cubes 4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces 3 medium leeks, finely chopped into small cubes 2 teaspoons fine sea salt, plus more to taste 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1 pound skinless pollock or cod fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for garnish ADDITIONAL INGREDIENT Finely ground nori Directions Make the stock Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, 10 to 14 minutes. Add cider; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced by half, 12 to 15 minutes. Add 7 cups water, kelp, thyme, garlic, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, until flavors meld and liquid is reduced to about 4 1/2 cups, about 40 minutes. Place mussels and clams in simmering stock; cover and cook until shells open, 8 to 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mussels and clams to a medium bowl; discard any that did not open. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. Remove meat from shells; discard shells, and set meat aside. Pour stock through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl; discard solids. Make the chowder Wipe Dutch oven clean. Add butter, and melt over medium-high. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in potatoes, leeks, salt, and 41/2 cups strained stock (discard any remaining stock, or reserve for another use). Let mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in cream; cook, undisturbed, just until chowder returns to a simmer. Add pollock; cook, stirring occasionally, until fish is almost cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in reserved mussel and clam meat. Remove from heat. Let stand until mussels and clams are heated through and pollock flakes when pierced with a fork, about 5 minutes. Stir in dill; season with salt to taste. Ladle into serving bowls; garnish with ground nori and dill. Make Ahead Stock can be prepared through step 1 and refrigerated 3 days in advance. Notes Find kelp or dried kombu on the international foods aisle at your local grocery store. Originally appeared: February 2020 Rate It Print