Bermuda Fish Chowder: A Taste of the Island’s Culinary Heart and Soul
Bermuda Fish Chowder is more than just a hearty seafood soup; it is the national dish and a true emblem of Bermudian culture and culinary pride. This iconic chowder is renowned for its layers of complex flavors, abundant fresh vegetables, and generous chunks of succulent white fish. What truly sets it apart, however, is the distinctive Bermudian touch: a generous splash of dark rum and a few dashes of fiery hot pepper sauce, creating a symphony of tastes that captures the island’s vibrant spirit.
This month, as part of our “Eat the World” recipe challenge, we embark on a culinary journey to the stunning tropical islands of Bermuda. Often mistakenly grouped with the Caribbean, Bermuda is a self-governing British Overseas Territory located in the western North Atlantic Ocean, distinct in its geography and rich in its own unique heritage. This picturesque archipelago, comprised of seven main islands connected by charming bridges and over 170 named islets and rocks, is globally celebrated for its breathtaking pink sand beaches, idyllic year-round weather, and, of course, its truly amazing food scene.
Given Bermuda’s island location, it’s no surprise that seafood plays a starring role in Bermudian cuisine. Local waters yield an abundance of fresh catches, with tuna, wahoo, and spiny lobster being among the most prized. Bermuda Fish Chowder stands out as one of the quintessential offerings, a staple found on virtually every restaurant menu across the islands. Its status as the national dish highlights its profound cultural importance.
This long-simmered, rich, and hearty chowder is a culinary canvas, with as many variations as there are talented cooks on the islands. Each Bermudian family proudly guards its own fiercely-protected recipe, usually passed down through generations, making the preparation of this dish a cherished family tradition. The friendly rivalry surrounding the chowder is so strong that every year, Bermuda hosts a contest to determine which restaurant or local chef makes the best Bermuda Fish Chowder, a competition that often sees a different deserving version crowned as the winner, showcasing the incredible diversity within this beloved national dish.
What Makes Bermuda Fish Chowder a Culinary Gem?
The Bermudian fish chowder distinguishes itself significantly from the cream-based chowders commonly found throughout mainland North America. Unlike its thicker counterparts, this island rendition is characterized by its light yet incredibly flavorful broth. It uses only a small amount of tomato, resulting in a much lighter consistency than soups thickened with heavy cream. The foundation of this exquisite broth is primarily fish stock, though many islanders also traditionally incorporate beef broth, adding an extra layer of savory depth to the soup.
Bermudian fish chowder is subtly thickened, achieving a perfect balance—not too thin, nor overly dense. A key characteristic is that all the pieces of vegetables and seafood within the chowder are uniformly small, contributing to a harmonious texture in every spoonful. The chowder’s distinctive spicy kick comes from the addition of local Bermudian hot sauce, traditionally known as ‘sherry peppers sauce.’ This unique condiment is crafted from sherry, a blend of spices, and fermented pimento peppers, offering a complex heat. To further infuse it with island spirit, the chowder is generously spiked with Bermuda’s iconic dark rum, most notably Goslings Black Seal Rum. While the traditional Outerbridge’s Sherry Peppers Sauce can be hard to find outside Bermuda, a good quality Jamaican Pickapeppa Sauce or your favorite fiery hot sauce passed at the table can serve as an excellent substitute to achieve that essential Bermudian heat and flavor profile.
In crafting this recipe, I opted for a slightly shorter cooking time than some traditional versions recommend. I found that the flavors married beautifully, and the fish maintained its shape and tender texture. Many longer-simmered traditional recipes allow the fish to cook until it practically falls apart, yielding a finer-textured soup. However, the beauty of homemade cooking is customization, so feel free to adjust the simmering time to your personal preference for fish texture.
The hallmark of Bermuda Fish Chowder is its rich, deep brown broth, which, as mentioned, incorporates just a hint of tomato for color and subtle acidity. This aromatic base is redolent with classic island spices such as fragrant thyme and warm allspice. It’s generously loaded with an abundance of finely chopped onions, carrots, celery, and green pepper, all contributing to its complex flavor and satisfying texture. Crucially, dark rum and the sherry peppers hot sauce are not only incorporated into the soup during cooking but are also traditionally presented at the table. This allows each diner to customize their bowl, adding more of each to suit their individual taste preferences, ensuring every spoonful is perfectly balanced to their liking.
Rich, deeply satisfying, and wonderfully complex, Bermuda Fish Chowder has an almost magical ability to transport you straight to the islands. Imagine yourself under a swaying palm tree, listening to the gentle crash of waves against pink sands, seated at an outdoor table beneath a rustic beach grass awning. In front of you is a steaming bowl of this exquisite soup. It’s a taste of the morning’s fresh catch, lovingly simmered with the best of local island produce and fragrant spices. And a shot of dark rum, whether in your soup or alongside, is truly the perfect way to toast another glorious, sun-drenched day in paradise.
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Join us on a global culinary adventure! Explore and celebrate the diverse flavors of the world with our fellow Eat the World members. Don’t forget to share your creations using #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and embark on a delicious journey exploring a new country’s cuisine each month in your own kitchen!
Discover other incredible Bermudian dishes prepared by our talented Eat the World team:
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Codfish Cakes
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Bermuda Triangle Cocktail
Sugarlovespices: Bermuda Rum Cake with pecans (from scratch)
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Bermuda’s Signature Cocktail: Dark ‘N’ Stormy
Sneha’s Recipe: Bermuda Johnny Bread
Kitchen Frau: Bermuda Fish Chowder
Guten Appetit!
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Bermuda Fish Chowder
Margaret Bose Johnson
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 2 large onions, finely chopped ~2 cups (250gms)
- 2 stalks celery, finely chopped ~1 cup (140gms)
- 2 medium carrots, finely chopped ~1 cup (150gms)
- 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled & finely diced ~2 cups (320gms)
- ⅓ cup (5½ tablespoons) tomato paste ½ of a 156ml/5.5oz can
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce for gluten-free use 1 tablespoon g.f. soy sauce + 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (Outerbridge’s Original Sherry Peppers Sauce) or other favourite hot sauce
- 4 cups (1 litre) beef broth
- 4 cups (1 litre) fish stock or clam juice or more beef broth
- 2 lbs. (900gms) red snapper fillets or other firm-fleshed white fish, like cod, halibut, haddock, tilapia, etc.
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch + ¼ cup (60ml) water stirred together
- ¼ cup (60ml) dark rum preferably Goslings Bermudian Black Seal Rum
to serve:
- more dark rum
- more Bermudian hot pepper sauce or other favourite hot sauce
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Carefully dice all vegetables finely into approximately ¼-inch (0.7 cm) cubes. Mince the garlic cloves. Peel the potatoes and cube them into small, pea-sized dice. Cut your chosen fish fillets into cubes of about ½-inch (1 cm) in size – this step is often easier if the fish is still partially frozen.
- In a large Dutch oven or a heavy-bottomed stock pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the finely chopped onions, celery, carrots, and minced garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables begin to soften and become fragrant.
- Stir in the tomato paste and continue to cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. This allows the tomato paste to caramelize slightly, deepening its flavor.
- Add the diced potatoes, bay leaf, fine sea salt, ground black pepper, dried thyme, and ground allspice to the pot. Stir well to ensure all the vegetables are thoroughly coated with the spices.
- Pour in the fish stock (or clam juice), beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, and hot pepper sauce.
- Bring the soup to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld beautifully and the potatoes to start softening.
- Gently add the diced fish to the simmering soup and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and flaky.
- In a small bowl, thoroughly stir together the cornstarch and water to create a smooth slurry. Pour this mixture into the soup while stirring continuously. Bring the soup back to a boil to activate the cornstarch and allow it to thicken to your desired consistency.
- Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the dark rum. This helps preserve its distinct flavor and aroma.
- To serve this authentic Bermudian delight, ladle the hot soup into bowls. Garnish generously with fresh chopped parsley. Crucially, pass around extra dark rum and the Bermudian sherry pepper sauce (or your preferred hot sauce) at the table. This allows everyone to customize their bowl with an additional dash of rum for depth and as much fiery heat as they desire.
- This recipe generously serves 8 people, perfect for sharing the taste of Bermuda.
Notes
For an even richer seafood experience, consider adding other delightful seafood to your chowder, such as succulent shrimp or other types of shellfish, during the last few minutes of cooking.
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Discover More from our ‘Eat the World’ Recipe Challenge:
Below is an alphabetical list of past countries we’ve explored, featuring delicious recipes to inspire your global cooking journey:
- Argentina: Red Chimichurri Sauce
- Australia: Anzac Biscuits (Crispy Oatmeal Cookies)
- Bangladesh: Chingri Masala (Shrimp Curry)
- Bulgaria: Patatnik (Savoury Potato and Cheese Pie)
- Cambodia: Noum Kong (Cambodian Rice Flour Doughnuts)
- China: Kung Pao Chicken
- Colombia: Pan de Yuca (Warm Cheese Buns)
- Dominican Republic: Empanaditas de Yuca (Cassava Empanadas)
- Ecuador: Pescado Encocado (Fish in Coconut Sauce)
- Egypt: Fava Beans and Feta
- England: Gluten Free Fish and Chips and Mushy Peas
- Ethiopia: Four Ethiopian Recipes for a Fantastic Feast
- Fiji: Spiced Sweet Potato and Banana Salad
- Finland: Lohikeitto (Creamy Salmon, Potato, and Dill Soup)
- France: Axoa d’Espelette (A Simple Stew from the Basque Country)
- Georgia: Charkhlis Chogi (Beets with Sour Cherry Sauce)
- Greece: Moussaka
- Guyana: Fried Tilapia in Oil & Vinegar Sauce (fish dish)
- Hungary: Túrós Csusza (Pasta Scraps with Cottage Cheese)
- India: Kerala Upma (Fluffy, Kerala Style Breakfast Upma Recipe)
- Iraq: Tepsi Baytinijan (Eggplant & Meatball Casserole)
- Ireland: Dublin Coddle (A tasty Sausage and Potato Stew)
- Israel: Cucumber, Feta, and Watermelon Salad
- Jamaica: Rice and Peas (Coconut Rice and Red Beans)
- Japan: Chawanmushi (Steamed Savoury Egg Custard)
- Kenya:Maharagwe with Ugali (Red Beans with Cornmeal Slice)
- Laos: Ping Gai (Lao Grilled Chicken Wings)
- Lesotho: Chakalaka & Pap (Veggie & Bean Stew with Cornmeal Polenta)
- Libya: Kufta bil Batinjal (Eggplant & Meat Rolls in Tomato Sauce)
- Luxembourg: Stäerzelen (Buckwheat Dumplings)
- Malta: Ross il Forn (Baked Tomato Rice)
- Mexico: Cochinita Pibil Tacos (Pit Barbecued Pig to Make in Your Oven)
- Morocco: Moroccan Shredded Carrot Salad with Oranges
- Netherlands: Boerenkool Stamppot (Kale-Potato Mash with Sausages & Pears)
- New Zealand: Classic Pavlova
- Poland: Polish Honey Cake
- Portugal: Tuna and Sardine Pâtés
- Puerto Rico: Piña Colada Cocktail
- Scotland: Cranachan (Raspberry, Whisky & Oat Cream Parfaits)
- Senegal: Mafé (Beef and Peanut Stew)
- Slovakia: Bryndzové Halušky (Potato Dumplings with Cheese & Bacon)
- Sudan: Peanut Butter Creamed Spinach & Peanut Meringue Cookies
- Sweden: Swedish Meatballs with Cream Gravy
- Switzerland (Christmas): Basler Leckerli Cookies
- Thailand: Shrimp Laksa (Khung)
- Trinidad & Tobago: Peanut Butter Prunes
- Turkey: Çilbir (Scrambled Eggs with Garlic Yogurt)
- Ukraine: Buckwheat Kasha with Beef
- United States (Soul Food): Smothered Pork Chops
- Uruguay: Torta de Fiambre (Baked Ham & Cheese Sandwiches)
- Vietnam: Caramelized Pork Rice Bowls
- Wales: Welsh Cakes (Skillet Cookies with Nutmeg & Currants)