Recipe: Mussel Chowder + Fry Bread

Mussel Chowder with Fry Bread by Freelance Food Writer Jane Rangiwahia, as seen in Cosy – an e-cookbook created in lockdown 2020 by Food Writers New Zealand.

This recipe is part of our Mighty Mussel Gathering, where we share a collection of mussel recipes from within our Eat New Zealand community. Supported by Aquaculture New Zealand, the aim is to encourage more New Zealanders to celebrate and cook with mussels as an affordable and nutritious meal idea for their whānau.

If you are a chef, food writer, keen home cook or general mussel enthusiast - get in touch and send your mussel recipes to kate@eatnewzealand.nz and we will continue to share the prized family mussel secrets.

Mussel Chowder + Fry Bread

By Jane Rangiwahia

If you’ve never tried fry bread (or commonly known as Māori Bread), you’ll wonder why after eating your first batch. It’s the perfect companion for this delicious chowder. And it’s so good as a treat topped with golden or maple syrup, or with lots of butter and your favourite jam.

Prep time 10 minutes / Cook time 30-35 minutes

Serves 6

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

250g bacon, finely sliced

1 onion, finely sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely sliced

2 tablespoons flour

1 litre good quality fish stock

250g potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm dice

500g cooked mussel meat, chopped (about 1.5kg mussels in shell)

1 cup cream

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the bacon and cook for 3 minutes. Add the onion and garlic and cook for a further 8 minutes until the onion is soft. Add the flour and stir until the bacon and onion mixture is coated in flour.

Pour in the fish stock and stir well then add the diced potato. Bring up to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potato is tender. (At this stage you can hold the chowder until you are just about ready to serve).

Add the mussel meat and cream into the soup and cook gently until the mussels are heated through. Season to taste.

Serve in warmed soup bowls topped with chopped parsley and serve with fry bread.

Fry Bread

Prep time 5 minutes / Cook time 7 minutes

Makes 12

3 cups self-raising flour

½ teaspoon salt

about 1 ½ cups cold water

vegetable oil, for frying

Pour enough oil into a frying pan to come about 2cm up the sides.

Heat oil until hot.

Place the flour and salt In a large bowl. Gradually add enough cold water to make a soft dough mixing with a wooden spoon but don’t over mix as this will cause fry bread to become stiff and flat.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured bench and push or roll dough to 1.5 cm thickness. Cut into 12 pieces then place in thehot oil, in batches so not to overcrowd the pan. Fry until goldenon both sides and have doubled in size, about 7 minutes. Drain oncrumpled paper towels.

Enjoy!