Long Island Seafood Chowder Recipe
When you’re craving something cozy, nourishing, and full of local flavor, break out this Long Island seafood chowder recipe, featuring New York fish. It highlights the fresh, sustainable seafood available in New York waters, like squid and porgy fish—all available for delivery from FreshDirect.
One of the most underrated fish that comes from New York’s coast is porgy (also known as scup). With its firm, slightly sweet flesh, porgy is a budget-friendly, eco-conscious alternative to more popular choices like cod or snapper. Found abundantly along Atlantic shores, it travels less, arrives fresher to you, and is mostly caught by smaller local fisheries.
Porgy is featured here in this tomato-based chowder recipe, although it works with pretty much any meaty white fish. Feel free to add in or swap other local seafood, like clams, monkfish, or bluefish. The flavors are inspired by New York ingredients, with a nod toward Mediterranean rusticity. There’s a bright acidity from tomatoes, herbal depth from rosemary and thyme, and an extra layer of ocean flavor from fresh squid. It’s the next best thing to taking your own fishing boat out in the Long Island sound.
Long Island Seafood Chowder Recipe
Serves 6
What You’ll Need:
- 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1/2 c leek, thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
- 2 small–medium russet potatoes, diced
- 2 tsp salt, divided
- 1/4 tsp white or black pepper
- 1 lb porgy, filleted
- 1 lb squid, cut into bite-size pieces
- 2–3 lemons, halved
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 5 c vegetable broth or water
- 1 small can tomato paste
- 1 large sprig rosemary, minced (or 1/2 tbsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme, picked (or 1/2 tbsp dried)
- 1 tbsp fresh oregano, roughly chopped
- 1/4 c parsley, roughly chopped
What to do:
In a large pot, heat oil over medium. Add onion, leek, garlic, celery, potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
Meanwhile, place porgy and squid in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Add juice of 1 lemon and 1 tsp salt. Rub mixture over fillets gently, let sit 1 minute, then rinse under cold water. Separate squid from porgy and place on a clean, dry towel or paper towel.
Rough chop squid or pulse in a food processor. Add to pot with vegetables and cook 3 minutes, stirring.
Stir in tomatoes, broth, and tomato paste. Then, gently fold in porgy fillets. Carefully stir in rosemary, thyme, and oregano (don’t overmix). Cover and cook 20–30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
Finish by stirring in lemon juice to taste (from 1–2 lemons) and the parsley. Season with salt to taste.
Tip: If necessary, you can debone the porgy by pulling the flesh from the skin and gently checking for bones with your fingers.
Recipe by Stephanie Sacks, MS CNS CDN.