by J. Michael Wheeler
This Fourth of July Grill brought together friends, food, drinks, and even an impromptu bagpipe serenade! Joe, the piper, is also Joe the sailor, and he just recently completed the 2010 Newport (Rhode Island) to Bermuda (Sailboat) Race. It’s a 635 mile ocean race, most of it out of sight of land, and can last anywhere from three to six days. (If you’re into sailing, Joe sailed on a Hinckley 70!)
Besides his pipes, Joe also brought a big pot filled with a taste of the race destination: Bermuda Fish Chowder. It’s a locals’ recipe using local ingredients, but as with many fish stews, use whatever local, fresh fish is available. There are two very unique ingredients to this fish stew however: the local Outerbridge’s Sherry Peppers Sauce for kick, and Goslings Black Seal rum as a topper.
Here are two tasty and similar recipes (Joe says use either one). The first recipe is from Outerbridge’s of the Sherry Peppers Sauce, and the second is from Gosling’s Rum.
Outerbridge's Bermuda Fish Chowder
Ingredients
Serves 124 Quarts water
1 ½ Pounds white fish fillets
Salt
Spices: thyme, bay leaves, peppercorns, ground cloves
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons oil
3 Large onions, chopped
8 Stalks celery, chopped
1 Garlic clove, minced
2 Green peppers, chopped
1 Can (28 oz, 794g) whole tomatoes, chopped
1 Can (10 oz, 285g) beef consomme
1 Cup catsup
½ Cup chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 Teaspoons lemon juice
2 Pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
6 Carrots, diced
1 Jigger (2 ounces) Gosling’s Black Seal Rum (or a good dark rum)
4 Tablespoons Outerbridge’s Original Sherry Peppers Sauce
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a large pot, put water, fish fillets, salt and spices. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and let simmer for 30 – 45 minutes.
2. In a frying pan, melt butter and oil and briefly sauté onions, celery, garlic and green peppers. Then add tomatoes and consommé and simmer covered for 30 minutes.
3. Transfer this mixture to the fish stock and add remaining ingredients. Simmer partially covered for 2 hours. Adjust seasoning.
Serve soup piping hot and pass around Outerbridge’s Original Sherry Peppers Sauce and Gosling’s Black Seal rum (or a similar good quality dark rum) so guests can add a few dashes of each.
Gosling’s Rum Bermuda Fish Chowder
by Edward Bottone
Ingredients
Serves 124 qts water
2 lbs fish fillets (Rockfish, Sea Bass) or 5 lbs Grouper heads
1 tbs fresh thyme
6 bay leaves
20 peppercorns
¼ tsp ground cloves
2 tbs butter
2 tbs olive oil
3 large Bermuda onions, chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 stalk (8 ribs) of celery, chopped
2 green bell peppers
28 oz can of whole tomatoes, seeded, chopped
1½ cup good chicken broth
1 cup catsup
½ cup parsley, chopped
2 tbs Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 lbs potatoes peeled, small dice
6 large carrots peeled, small dice
freshly ground pepper to taste
2 oz Gosling’s Black Seal Rum
4 tbs sherry peppers
Directions
1. In a large pot bring the water to a boil and put in the fish fillets, salt and spices. Lower flame and simmer for 45 minutes.
2. In an another cauldron large enough to contain all of the ingredients melt the butter and oil together and sauté the onions and garlic until just golden. Add the celery and green peppers and sauté another few minutes. Add the tomatoes and broth and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Strain the fish stock into the cauldron. Pick out the fish and add it to the pot as well, discard the spices. Add the remaining vegetables to the pot and simmer partially covered for two hours.
The soup should be thickened, but not thick and be a dark reddish brown and very aromatic. If not thick enough you may resort to a little cornstarch and water, stirred into the boiling soup, I won’t tell. At the end of the cooking time add the sherry peppers sauce and Black Seal Rum. Serve immediately, or allow to cool and keep a day for more intense flavors. At serving time pass cruets of additional Black Seal Rum and sherry peppers sauce for the brave.
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