Bermudan

Bermuda Fish Chowder

“Bermuda's national dish — rockfish heads and frames simmered for hours into a dark, thick, intensely spicy tomato-based broth with onion, celery, thyme, bay, and Caribbean spices. Finished at the table with a splash of Gosling's black rum and Outerbridge's sherry-pepper rum.”

Medium3 hours

Where it comes from

Bermuda fish chowder was declared the national dish in the post-colonial era. Originally a fisherman's economical broth using the fish parts no one else wanted, it evolved into a centerpiece restaurant dish. The tableside addition of black rum (Gosling's, 1860) and sherry-pepper rum (Outerbridge's, the Bermudian original sherry-and-chili infused rum) is the signature finishing ritual.

On the plate

Spoon up Bermuda fish chowder — deep mahogany-brown, almost-black broth, fish fragments melted into the body, fine confetti of carrot and celery throughout. Take a sip: thick, rich, deeply spiced — tomato umami, Worcestershire malt-funk, the curry powder Caribbean warmth, the thyme bay perfume. Now add the rum: 1 tsp Gosling's black rum + 2 drops Outerbridge's sherry-pepper rum, stir. The chowder transforms — molasses-deep rum richness blooms across the palate, the sherry-pepper rum's chili-and-sherry tang slices through the body. With a slice of buttered crusty bread, this is a Bermudian Sunday lunch at the Hamilton harbor.

How it works

Long-cooking the fish-bone stock extracts collagen for the chowder's characteristic body. Crushing the fish during cooking (40-50 min simmer with fillets) lets the fish proteins thicken the broth and integrate into a homogeneous chowder rather than fish-in-broth. The tableside rum and sherry-pepper rum aren't decorative — they're the defining flavor finishers added at last moment so the alcohol's volatile aromatics aren't cooked off.

Variations

Bermuda fish chowder with wahoo (richer flavor). With added curry powder (East Indian-Bermudian influence). Cream-finished (richer modern version). With shrimp added (modern). Lobster Bermuda chowder (special-occasion).

On the Palate

Ingredients

Serves 6

2 kg heads + 800 g filletsSnapper

800 g + 4 tbsp pasteTomato

1 tsp pepper rumSherry

How it's made

10 steps · Show ↓

50 min active · 130 min waiting

1
92 min
Make fish stock: place 2 kg rockfish heads, frames, and trimmings (or use snapper/grouper heads) in a pot with 3 L cold water. Bring to a simmer; skim. Add 1 onion (halved), 2 bay leaves, 6 black peppercorns. Simmer 90 min. Strain (discard solids).
2
8 min
In a heavy pot, sauté 200 g diced bacon in 2 tbsp butter over medium heat 6 min until crisp.
3
9 min
Add 2 finely diced onions, 2 diced carrots, 3 stalks diced celery, 6 minced garlic cloves; cook 8 min until softened.
4
4 min
Add 800 g canned crushed tomatoes, 4 tbsp tomato paste, 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, 2 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp paprika, 2 tsp dried thyme, 4 bay leaves, 1 tsp black pepper.
5
2 min
Pour in 2 L of the fish stock; bring to a simmer.
6
3 min
Add 800 g firm white-fish fillets (rockfish, snapper, or grouper) cut into 3-cm chunks.
7
47 min
Simmer 40-50 min until the chowder thickens and the fish has nearly disintegrated into the broth (the dish should be thick, dark, and savory).
8
2 min
Adjust seasoning: salt and additional Worcestershire to taste. The chowder should be richly spiced.
9
2 min
Serve hot in deep bowls. Place small cruet bottles of Gosling's Black Seal rum and Outerbridge's sherry-pepper rum on the table.
10
1 min
Each diner adds 1-2 tsp black rum and a few drops of sherry-pepper rum to their bowl; this is the signature step.