Chowder with Chardonnay
  California Wine Magazine Pairing Advisor

Corn & Fish Chowder
with Chardonnay:


Food Wine
Corn and Fish Chowder with Chardonnay - This meal can be made as a full, rich chowder that goes wonderfully with the Chardonnay. Take an alternate route and add a bit of spice by increasing the chilies or add Tabasco for more spice and pair with a light, fruity syrah or grenache rose that can handle the heat. The chowder takes roughly one hour from start to finish.
2005 Gold Hill Estate Bottled Chardonnay, El Dorado. This has a nose of wonderful butter, golden delicious apples, pears and just a bit of vanilla and light floral. The palate has a great soft mouthfeel with a good butteriness and just a bit of lemon and orange to add zest. There is a healthy amount of acidity that makes the wine lively and fresh with a nice finish of butter and fruit.
Corn and Fish Chowder; Makes 4 main courses or 8 side courses
6 slices of bacon, small chopped
1 stalk celery, small chopped
1 medium white onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 red pepper, small chopped
1/2 Poblano Chili, small chopped
2 ears of corn, grilled
2 Medium Yukon potatoes,
peeled and medium chopped
2 Bay Leaves
4 cups chicken stock
1 cups Chardonnay
1 cup half and half
3 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup milk
1 lb firm white fish or shellfish in small pieces
(i.e. cod, mahimahi, monkfish, crab, lobster,etc.)
Salt & Pepper
1 Tbsp Italian Parsley, chopped
1 Tbsp Thyme, chopped
Gold Hill Chardonnay
Cook corn in husk on grill or barbeque until just tender. Heat large soup pot and add bacon. Cook until almost crisp, add celery, onion, garlic, red pepper and chili and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add flour and mix well. Add chicken stock, bay leaves, wine and potatoes to pot, bring to a slow boil and drop to a simmer. Cut corn off cobb and add both kernels and cobs to pot. Add half and half and cook at a simmer until potatoes are tender, about 1/2 hour. Add fish and cook until opaque (unless you are using a precooked product, then just heat through). In a separate container mix cornstarch and milk until cornstarch is thoroughly integrated. Melt butter in saucepan, add cornstarch mixture. Remove Cobs. Cook until slightly thickened and add to the soup. Cook until slightly thickened and add spices. Cook 1 minute. Ladle into large bowls and top with Tabasco if desired. Serve with french bread.