Milk-and-cream chowder with white fish (cod, haddock or pollock), potato, onion and rendered salt pork, finished with butter. Distinct from clam chowder; salt pork carries the fat, milk (never boiled) carries the body.

Fish chowder predates Maine by centuries; French and English fishermen on the Grand Banks made shipboard chowders from the 1500s. The Maine version, refined through the 1700s and 1800s, leans on cod and haddock rather than clams and uses salt pork for fat and milk for body. The 1896 Boston Cooking School Cook Book codified the canonical Maine fish chowder ratio: salt pork, onion, potato, fish and milk in that order. Becky's Diner on Commercial Street and Scales on Maine Wharf both run a year-round chowder; in winter, the Old Port seafood rooms switch to chowder-first menus.

Where to eat Maine fish chowder in Portland

4 editor picks for Maine fish chowder in Portland, ranked by editorial score. All Portland signature dishes · Maine fish chowder across every city.

  • Fore Street

    Order Roasted Maine mussels in almond, garlic and vermouth from the wood oven.

    Fore Street opened 1996 in a converted Old Port warehouse and built modern New England cooking around a wood oven, open hearth and turning spit.

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  • Scales

    Order The whole local fish of the day, plus a half dozen Glidden Point oysters.

    Scales on Maine Wharf opened March 2016 from Sam Hayward, Dana Street and Victor Leon (the Fore Street team) with whole local fish, oysters and a raw bar.

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  • Boone's Fish House + Oyster Room

    Order The Maine lobster roll on a New England top-split bun, plus a cup of fish chowder.

    Boone's Fish House on Custom House Wharf reopened 2014 on the site of the 1898 original, with Maine lobster rolls, halibut and fish chowder on the deck.

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  • Becky's Diner

    Order A short stack with bacon and a cup of clam chowder, the diner's classic combo.

    Becky's Diner on Commercial Street has been on Portland's working waterfront since 1991, opening 05:00 daily for fishing crews and one of the longest weekend.

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Make it at home

Serves 61 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 100g salt pork, fine dice (or thick bacon)
  • 1 medium yellow onion, fine dice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 medium Maine potatoes, peeled, 2 cm dice
  • 600ml fish stock or water
  • 700g fresh cod or haddock, skinned, 5 cm pieces
  • 600ml whole milk
  • 200ml heavy cream
  • 60g unsalted butter
  • Kosher salt, white pepper
  • Chopped parsley and oyster crackers to finish

Method

  1. Render the salt pork in a heavy pot over medium heat until crisp, 5 minutes. Lift the crisp bits out; reserve.
  2. Add the onion and bay leaf to the rendered fat; cook 5 minutes until soft.
  3. Add the potatoes and fish stock. Bring to a simmer; cook 12 to 15 minutes until potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
  4. Lay the fish pieces on top. Cover; simmer 6 to 8 minutes until the fish flakes.
  5. Add milk and cream gently. Heat through but do not boil (milk curdles).
  6. Drop in the butter; swirl until melted. Season with salt and white pepper.
  7. Ladle into bowls. Scatter reserved pork bits, parsley and oyster crackers.

Editor tip. Rest the chowder off heat for 10 minutes before serving; the flavours deepen. Never let the milk boil.

Common allergens: Fish, Dairy.