Skip to main content

Autumn Walleye Chowder

Autumn Walleye Chowder
Print Recipe

If you’re on the fall walleye bite right now and wondering how to prepare your bounty, think out of the golden-fried box for a second. Remember: Nothing beats a hot bowl of chowder on a crisp October or November evening. Even better if the chowder is homemade with big meaty chunks of walleye. And yes, this recipe is perfect for lunch at deer camp, especially if prepared ahead, refrigerated and slowly heated up.

Although my walleye chowder varies a little bit each time I prepare it—depending on the ingredients on hand—follow these steps and you’ll end up with a champion one-dish meal.

So, the template for this successful recipe was taken from Sherry Day’s Michigan Whitefish Chowder recipe found here. We’ll give credit where it’s due.

But you’ll notice I made some changes to Sherry’s recipe. Like more bacon, cream, smoked fish, white pepper, and a few other flourishes. Sherry’s recipe seemed too … what’s the word? Healthy.

walleye chowder

Ingredients

Liquids

4 cups water

2 cups Kitchen Basics (or homemade) seafood stock

2 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup cream

Meats

5 bacon strips

2 pounds of chunked walleye

Recommended


3/4 pound smoked whitefish

Vegetables

3 celery stalks, diced

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 leeks (white part), sliced

4 Idaho Gold potatoes, diced (with the skin on)

Spices

4 bay leaves

1 tsp dried dill weed

1/2 tsp white pepper

Salt and black pepper to taste

5 or 6 drops of Zatarain’s Concentrated Shrimp and Crab Boil

1/2 - 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Combine 4 cups of water, two bay leaves and walleye chunks in a cast iron skillet. Bring the water to a boil, turn down the heat, then let the fish simmer for 10 minutes.

Transfer the fish to a bowl, place in the refrigerator.

Fry bacon until slightly crisp in a cast iron dutch oven.

Drain bacon on paper towels, crumble when cool.

Add diced celery, onion and leeks to the bacon grease. Sautee until translucent.

Add the 4 cups of water used to simmer the fish to the sautéed vegetables. Add two more bay leaves, 5 or 6 drops of Zatarain’s Concentrated Shrimp and Crab Boil, 1 tsp dried dill weed, a generous sprinkling of Old Bay Seasoning, 1/2 tsp white pepper and salt/black pepper to taste.

Add 2 cups of seafood stock to the mixture. Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add 2 1/2 cups milk, potatoes, smoked whitefish, and bacon and simmer for 10 minutes. Then add 1/2 cup cream and let simmer (do not boil) for an additional 10 minutes.

Retrieve walleye from the refrigerator and add to the mixture.

Let the flavors commingle on low heat for as long as you can stand it.

Serve in man-sized bowls with spoons big enough to shovel snow.

Add black pepper as required.

Serve with butter-slathered, homemade bread.




GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Recommended Articles

Recent Videos

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Giant Brown Trout in the Lower Niagara with Captain Frank

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Locating King Salmon during Summer and Fall

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Marsh Redfish with Doug Stange

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Wade Fishing for Big Redfish on Topwater in Texas

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In Fisherman Storyline Ep12 - After Hours Edition: State of the Industry

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Gear

In-Fisherman Classics: Lake Trout on the Niagara Bar

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Destinations

In-Fisherman Classics: Niagara River Steelhead with Mike Carney and Matt Straw

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In-Fisherman Storyline Hardcopy Edition: Ep14 - KFF with Mike Carney and Jeff Weakley

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Destinations

In-Fisherman Storyline: Front Porch Edition with Dave Brinkerhoff and Bailey Eigbrett

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In-Fisherman Storyline: Roadtrip Edition - The Tazin Lake Lodge Story

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In-Fisherman Classics: Muskie Mechanics and Why We Chase Muskies

Aaron Ambur lives for his outdoor time, and that passion has trickled down into his family pursuits and professional obj...
Learn

In-Fisherman Storyline Ep11 - Nexus Outdoors Owner Aaron Ambur

In-Fisherman Magazine Covers Print and Tablet Versions

GET THE MAGAZINE Subscribe & Save

Digital Now Included!

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Give a Gift   |   Subscriber Services

PREVIEW THIS MONTH'S ISSUE

Buy Digital Single Issues

Magazine App Logo

Don't miss an issue.
Buy single digital issue for your phone or tablet.

Get the In-Fisherman App apple store google play store

Other Magazines

See All Other Magazines

Special Interest Magazines

See All Special Interest Magazines

GET THE NEWSLETTER Join the List and Never Miss a Thing.

Get the top In-Fisherman stories delivered right to your inbox.

Phone Icon

Get Digital Access.

All In-Fisherman subscribers now have digital access to their magazine content. This means you have the option to read your magazine on most popular phones and tablets.

To get started, click the link below to visit mymagnow.com and learn how to access your digital magazine.

Get Digital Access

Not a Subscriber?
Subscribe Now

Enjoying What You're Reading?

Get a Full Year
of Guns & Ammo
& Digital Access.

Offer only for new subscribers.

Subscribe Now

Never Miss a Thing.

Get the Newsletter

Get the top In-Fisherman stories delivered right to your inbox.

By signing up, I acknowledge that my email address is valid, and have read and accept the Terms of Use