May 8, 2026 • 5 mins
We’re a long way from the sea, but luckily, we know a couple of good fishermen who frequent the waters around Stewart Island. We trade lamb or Swifty beer for fresh fish and the occasional cray, and when we do, this chowder is on the menu.
It’s one of Carlos’ most requested dishes: rich and creamy, loaded with mussels, prawns, chunks of fresh fish (and cray if we’re lucky enough). Simple, soul-warming, and perfect for colder weather, it brings a little taste of the coast to our alpine table.
Serves 4–6
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1kg fresh mussels in their shells, scrubbed and cleaned pinch of saffron threads
- 1 large leek, chopped
- 3–4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1⁄2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 50g butter, cubed
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 4 medium potatoes, peeled, diced
- 200–250g raw prawns, shelled
- 450g fresh white fish fillets and/or crayfish meat, cut into chunks
- Juice of 1⁄2 lemon
- A handful of finely chopped parsley and/or dill
- 1⁄2 cup sour cream or crème fraîche, to serve
Method
- Place the mussels in a large pot and add enough cold water to just cover them. Add a lid and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Cook for 4–5 minutes until the mussel shells open. Discard any that remain closed.
- Using tongs, transfer the mussels to a bowl. Strain the mussel stock through a fine sieve into a large bowl or pot. Stir in the saffron threads and let them infuse while you continue with the recipe.
- Return the pot to the stove and heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped leek and garlic, and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in the smoked paprika and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the butter and once melted, stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly to form a roux. Gradually add 1–2 ladles of the saffron-infused mussel stock while stirring to create a smooth base.
- Add about 1.25 litres (5 cups) of stock and the potatoes. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Add more stock if needed and stir occasionally to prevent the chowder from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Meanwhile, remove the mussel meat from the shells and roughly chop. Chop the prawns if large. Add the chopped mussels, prawns, fish and lemon juice. Stir gently and cook for 3–5 minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked through.
- Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and more lemon if needed. Stir through the fresh herbs. Serve with a generous dollop of sour cream or crème fraîche.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
That'd be the one and only Nadia Limb is with
us in the kitchen this morning, killed her kyoto Jack.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I'm so well, thank you, just so nicety. Hear you
always has life.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Yeah, No, it's good, can't complain it's yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
I'm just sitting at my dining table looking out so
the mountains and we're on the Crown Terrace and it's
going to be a beautiful day.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I think.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Isn't this just like the absolute perfect time of year
for you? Like do you just look out and see
nothing but golden leaves everywhere? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
It blows my mind, Like I never get sick of it.
It is so beautiful. The colors are just I don't
know what it is. I researched it at once, and
apparently it's when when you get really extreme temperatures that
then the leaves go even more vibrant, because down here,
you know, we get very extreme kind of cold and hot,
(01:00):
and the extreme cold, apparently is what makes the leaves
that just so intense.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
That would make sense, right, because if you think about
other places that have amazing leaves, like parts of Japan
and uh, you know, like Vermont and Maine, those parts
of they get Yeah, they get snow and it does
get quite warm in the in the summer as well.
So yeah, that's really interesting. Good job.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Yeah, mushrooms and elder berries and all sorts to pick.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Do you do you go and pick mushrooms?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
We did.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
I went mushroom picking for birch Billettes and Porcini's a
few days ago with my three year old. We haven't
eaten any of them because they were actually a bit
too big. You have to get them at the right time,
the right size, otherwise the worms get into them too,
so you got to get them early.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Yeah, too late.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Okay, Yeah, so long as you know what you're doing.
Just I would be a bit anxious about mushroom picking. Yeah,
you really just want to. Yeah, we're on the side
of caution there. So you have a delicious sounding recipe
for us this morning. Carlos's favorite seafood chowder.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, yeah, this.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Is I think, well, actually he's not right here right now,
but I think if you were to ask Carlos what
is death rowmeal would be? I reckon, I think you'd
probably say this, this, this some seafrud chowder.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, he loves seafrud chowder. Okay, yeah, love it.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
You guys are away way from the ocean, but I
know you've got some mate to frequent the waters around
Stuart Island and so you're able to get your hands
on fresh fish runners through the recipe.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yes, okay.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
So well, first off, like for a good seafood chowder,
you know, you've got to have a good stock. So
the way to make a good seafood stock that's nice
and quick and easy is using mussels. So get some
fresh muscles, you know, in the shell, put them in
a big pot, and then cover it with just enough
cold water, so not too much, just enough to cover
(02:49):
the muscles, and then bring that to a gentle simmer
simmerre it for you know, I don't know, four to
five minutes until the mussels are starting to open, and
of course discard any that don't open.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Because they they're not fresh.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
And the ones that have, then you can remove them
with tongs into a different bowl and that's your muscle stock.
So that's your your homemade stock for your your chowder. Yeah,
rather than having to buy stock, which you can do
as well, of course, if you liked and also if
you don't like muscles. Some people don't like muscles. Some
people love them, and some people don't. So if you
didn't like muscles, you don't have to do the step.
(03:25):
You could just use theish stock or possibly even chicken stock.
We'll give it a different flavor, but you could use that,
no problem. And then we're gonna simply saute some leak
and garlic and a little bit of olive oil.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
To this recipe. I add half a.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Teaspoon of smoke Proprika.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
It just gives it a.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Little a little bit of smoky flavor and which is
really nice. And then oh, actually sorry, I skipped a
little step if you like. Again, optional you can add
some saffron threads just to pinch to that muscle stock
and to and allow that to infuse while you're doing
the rest of the recipe. Optional though, yeah, yeah. And
(04:05):
then to the pot with the leak and garlics, add
some butter. Melt that, and then a couple of tablespoons
of flour because we're going to make like a rue sauce,
and you cook that, cook that out, and then you
can gradually add needles of your fish or muscle stock
(04:27):
into the cooked flour and that thicken and then it becomes,
you know, like a thick base. I guess, yeah, yeah,
And then what do you do? You add some potatoes
and cute potatoes and sorry, if you can hear background,
I had all three kids like upstairs, we're busy with
the puzzle, and I was like, great, I'm winning it.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Life. This is going to work.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
We are We're going to have the ads crashing very shortly.
So what I will do, though, so very quickly adding
in the fish slowly? Or do you add it all
at once?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
The stock you mean, I would add it gradually.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, okay, okay, we'll do that. And then you can
do like whitefish. You could do crayfish meat.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
That's right, and then you just yeah, you just added
whatever you like. Prawns.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
We added prawns, the chopped up muscles, some chopped up
chunks of fish or salmon.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
If you're lucky, you can put some crayfish and if
you had.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
A bit, and then you finish it off with a
juice of half a lemon, some fishly chopped parsley or dill,
and I think a nice little touch of the end
is yet some cream frescious sour.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Cream sounded amazing. Thank you so much. We will leave you,
get back to paradise and make sure that recipes on
the News Talks, he'd website NADIELM.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Thank you for more From Saturday Morning with Jack Tame.
Listen live to news Talks he'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
You're listening to the Saturday Morning with Jack team podcast
from News Talks.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
That'd be the one and only Nadia Limb is with
us in the kitchen this morning, killed her kyoto Jack.
Speaker 3 (00:18):
How are you?
Speaker 2 (00:18):
I'm so well, thank you, just so nicety. Hear you
always has life.
Speaker 3 (00:22):
Yeah, No, it's good, can't complain it's yeah.
Speaker 4 (00:25):
I'm just sitting at my dining table looking out so
the mountains and we're on the Crown Terrace and it's
going to be a beautiful day.
Speaker 3 (00:31):
I think.
Speaker 2 (00:32):
Isn't this just like the absolute perfect time of year
for you? Like do you just look out and see
nothing but golden leaves everywhere? Yeah?
Speaker 4 (00:39):
It blows my mind, Like I never get sick of it.
It is so beautiful. The colors are just I don't
know what it is. I researched it at once, and
apparently it's when when you get really extreme temperatures that
then the leaves go even more vibrant, because down here,
you know, we get very extreme kind of cold and hot,
(01:00):
and the extreme cold, apparently is what makes the leaves
that just so intense.
Speaker 2 (01:07):
That would make sense, right, because if you think about
other places that have amazing leaves, like parts of Japan
and uh, you know, like Vermont and Maine, those parts
of they get Yeah, they get snow and it does
get quite warm in the in the summer as well.
So yeah, that's really interesting. Good job.
Speaker 4 (01:25):
Yeah, mushrooms and elder berries and all sorts to pick.
Speaker 2 (01:28):
Do you do you go and pick mushrooms?
Speaker 3 (01:31):
We did.
Speaker 4 (01:31):
I went mushroom picking for birch Billettes and Porcini's a
few days ago with my three year old. We haven't
eaten any of them because they were actually a bit
too big. You have to get them at the right time,
the right size, otherwise the worms get into them too,
so you got to get them early.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Yeah, too late.
Speaker 2 (01:46):
Okay, Yeah, so long as you know what you're doing.
Just I would be a bit anxious about mushroom picking. Yeah,
you really just want to. Yeah, we're on the side
of caution there. So you have a delicious sounding recipe
for us this morning. Carlos's favorite seafood chowder.
Speaker 3 (02:02):
Yeah, yeah, this.
Speaker 4 (02:03):
Is I think, well, actually he's not right here right now,
but I think if you were to ask Carlos what
is death rowmeal would be? I reckon, I think you'd
probably say this, this, this some seafrud chowder.
Speaker 3 (02:14):
Yeah, he loves seafrud chowder. Okay, yeah, love it.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
You guys are away way from the ocean, but I
know you've got some mate to frequent the waters around
Stuart Island and so you're able to get your hands
on fresh fish runners through the recipe.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
Yes, okay.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
So well, first off, like for a good seafood chowder,
you know, you've got to have a good stock. So
the way to make a good seafood stock that's nice
and quick and easy is using mussels. So get some
fresh muscles, you know, in the shell, put them in
a big pot, and then cover it with just enough
cold water, so not too much, just enough to cover
(02:49):
the muscles, and then bring that to a gentle simmer
simmerre it for you know, I don't know, four to
five minutes until the mussels are starting to open, and
of course discard any that don't open.
Speaker 3 (03:02):
Because they they're not fresh.
Speaker 4 (03:04):
And the ones that have, then you can remove them
with tongs into a different bowl and that's your muscle stock.
So that's your your homemade stock for your your chowder. Yeah,
rather than having to buy stock, which you can do
as well, of course, if you liked and also if
you don't like muscles. Some people don't like muscles. Some
people love them, and some people don't. So if you
didn't like muscles, you don't have to do the step.
(03:25):
You could just use theish stock or possibly even chicken stock.
We'll give it a different flavor, but you could use that,
no problem. And then we're gonna simply saute some leak
and garlic and a little bit of olive oil.
Speaker 3 (03:39):
To this recipe. I add half a.
Speaker 4 (03:41):
Teaspoon of smoke Proprika.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
It just gives it a.
Speaker 4 (03:45):
Little a little bit of smoky flavor and which is
really nice. And then oh, actually sorry, I skipped a
little step if you like. Again, optional you can add
some saffron threads just to pinch to that muscle stock
and to and allow that to infuse while you're doing
the rest of the recipe. Optional though, yeah, yeah. And
(04:05):
then to the pot with the leak and garlics, add
some butter. Melt that, and then a couple of tablespoons
of flour because we're going to make like a rue sauce,
and you cook that, cook that out, and then you
can gradually add needles of your fish or muscle stock
(04:27):
into the cooked flour and that thicken and then it becomes,
you know, like a thick base. I guess, yeah, yeah,
And then what do you do? You add some potatoes
and cute potatoes and sorry, if you can hear background,
I had all three kids like upstairs, we're busy with
the puzzle, and I was like, great, I'm winning it.
Speaker 3 (04:48):
Life. This is going to work.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
We are We're going to have the ads crashing very shortly.
So what I will do, though, so very quickly adding
in the fish slowly? Or do you add it all
at once?
Speaker 3 (05:00):
The stock you mean, I would add it gradually.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Yeah, okay, okay, we'll do that. And then you can
do like whitefish. You could do crayfish meat.
Speaker 3 (05:08):
That's right, and then you just yeah, you just added
whatever you like. Prawns.
Speaker 4 (05:12):
We added prawns, the chopped up muscles, some chopped up
chunks of fish or salmon.
Speaker 3 (05:19):
If you're lucky, you can put some crayfish and if
you had.
Speaker 4 (05:21):
A bit, and then you finish it off with a
juice of half a lemon, some fishly chopped parsley or dill,
and I think a nice little touch of the end
is yet some cream frescious sour.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Cream sounded amazing. Thank you so much. We will leave you,
get back to paradise and make sure that recipes on
the News Talks, he'd website NADIELM.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Thank you for more From Saturday Morning with Jack Tame.
Listen live to news Talks he'd be from nine am Saturday,
or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio
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