It’s been wet where I live. Which was fun for a while, but lately I find baked pasta and kümmel cocktails are no longer enough to fend off the chill. As the rain continues to come down in Los Angeles I’m reminded of the old phrase: “be careful what you wish for”. I admit I’ve been wishing for rain for the past six years. Which is ironic because now that it’s arrived I find myself slurping an Asian-Spiced Coconut Fish Chowder and reverting to another of my popular fantasies. The old “stranded on a deserted island” daydream. I find it comes in handy while negotiating oceans of standing water on Hollywood Blvd. It’s easy to imagine my Prius lost at sea.
But seriously, if I ever did find myself shipwrecked, I hope I’d wash ashore on an island full of coconut palms. The way I see it is this: a beachful of coconut trees is all I need to survive.
Coconut palms are very prolific. They contain enough liquid to quench my thirst and plenty of tasty meat to quell my hunger. They can bloom up to thirteen times a year and produce as many as sixty coconuts with each bloom. So if I were a castaway I’d need all sorts of coconut recipes, for all sorts of meals. In this country, coconut is used primarily as an ingredient in desserts such as coconut cream pie. However, my deserted island is far more likely to be found near Thailand or Indonesia where they use coconut meat to flavor curries and soups, not unlike this Coconut Fish Chowder.
Coconut Fish Chowder
However, coconuts are more than the primary ingredient in my deserted island kitchen. The trees also yield wood for shelter and fires, as well as fiber for rope. Rope, that I imagine I would use to macramé myself a fish net. You can’t make Coconut Fish Chowder without fish.
Because of the rain I’ve also tossed green beans and baby potatoes into my recipe to make this soup a chowder appropriate for the cool weather. Yes, I realize I’ll have trouble finding green beans and baby potatoes on my deserted island. But this is my rainy day fantasy. Just go with it. GREG
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon coconut oil (may substitute vegetable oil)
- 1 yellow onion (peeled, halved, and thinly sliced)
- 1 clove garlic (peeled and minced)
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or to taste)
- kosher salt (as needed for seasoning)
- 3 cup fish stock (may substitute clam juice)
- 4 fresh kaffir lime leaves (may substitute 2 teaspoon lime zest)
- 1 (1‑inch) piece fresh ginger (peeled and julienned)
- 6 ounce baby potatoes (cut into ½‑inch pieces)
- 2 celery ribs (thinly sliced on the bias)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- ¼ pound green beans (trimmed and cut into bite size pieces)
- 1 pound firm white fish (such as halibut or cod, cut into 1‑inch chunks)
- 2 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (such as nam pla or nuoc nam)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- cilantro (as needed for garnish)
- shredded unsweetened dried coconut flakes (as needed for garnish)
- thinly sliced Thai bird chile (as needed for garnish, optional)
Directions
Heat coconut oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, red-pepper flakes, and a big pinch salt; cook until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add fish stock, kaffir leaves (or zest), and ginger. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 4 to 5 minutes.
Add baby potatoes, celery, and bay leaf to the simmering stock and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, about 10 minutes.
Reduce heat to low and add the coconut milk. Bring the broth back to a simmer then add green beans and cook 1 to 2 minutes (depending on how crisp you like them). Add the fish, continue to simmer without stirring until the fish is just cooked through and the green beans are tender-crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on thickness.
Stir in fish sauce and sugar. Discard the kaffir and bay leaves. Ladle the soup into bowls; garnish with cilantro, shredded coconut and chile slices (if using).
Love this Asian twist on CHOWDA!
How did I miss this one? Your photos are incredible!
Don’t get lost at sea in the Prius! I LOVED the rain! I’d take a bowl of this delicious chowder rain or shine! 🙂
We are enjoying your rains here in Tucson, too, Greg. Thanks for sending them our way. We are doing the same with comfort food. Maybe your fish chowder is next! (I just made a standard New England cod chowder … you will be seeing that soon!
While you might not find green beans and potatoes on that deserted island, I bet you would find some other interesting ingredient to add to your chowder while you were there. Since I’m not on that island, I think I will prepare it as you’ve suggested.
I haven’t had a desert island fantasy for awhile. Always a nice daydream. Particularly when a neat chowder like this is involved. Good stuff — thanks.
I not much of a coconut fan and living on a deserted island after watching Tom Hanks barely survive. Kauai is my favorite island and your soup looks great.
Your coconut fish chowder looks and sounds absolutely amazing. I’m sorry it’s been so wet for you guys, it’s been overcast for us (not much snow or rain) but we haven’t seen the sun for going on 9 days and to be honest, I’m grumpy. I pulled out my grow light (it’s multi-spectrum) so it’s a good affordable alternative to the expensive mood lamps they sell (and more practical). I’ve got it perched on the treadmill so I get a good 45 minutes of sunlight every morning, it does make a difference.
I had no idea coconut palms were so prolific, it’s a wonder why coconut water and by products are so expensive! I adore coconut milk in soups, so rich without being as heavy as cream. The fish would add some bulk without being too heavy as well. Now you are going to think I’m lying but I kid you not, the menu for this week (tomorrow’s dinner, in fact) is a Provençal Fish Soup, flavoured with saffron and smoked paprika. I may even ‘cheat’ a bit with some saffron garlic aioli on some crostini. Not quite a chowder but it’s a very flavourful fish soup. Great minds…
If Ginger and Mary Ann could manage to whip up coconut cream pies on their deserted island, I’m sure you’d be able to manage this chowder. In fact, I think it’s far, far more likely! Your soup looks so beautifully delicate! I love the Thai chilies — they make it look almost like a floral arrangements. So exquisite.
Hi Greg, I was born in Whittier and I miss much about CA, mostly the people. Love this soup, you have all the best in this chowder, all my favorites.
This really sounds good ! I still have some Kaffir lime leaves in my freezer, and as I’m so lucky, (and grateful), that I live in Alaska, I always have the current year’s fish on the shelf below :).
Looks wonderful, deserted island or not! I’ve never used fresh kaffir lime leaves because I can’t find them where I live. Jealous!
I get them at the Thai market. GREG