Name: Lower-fat Clam or Fish Chowder
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 large onion, chopped; 3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes; 4 cups fish or chicken stock, preferably warmed; 24 hard-shell clams, shucked and with their juice; or about 1 pint undrained shucked clams, cut up if very large; or about 2 cups diced or cut-up fresh delicate white fish, such as cod; 2 cups corn kernels, preferably fresh; 1 cup low-fat milk; salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste; minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Why it works: Onion and potato are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 3% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 9,023 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓

Lower-fat Clam or Fish Chowder

Timeabout 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
3 medium baking potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
4 cups fish or chicken stock, preferably warmed
24 hard-shell clams, shucked and with their juice; or about 1 pint undrained shucked clams, cut up if very large; or about 2 cups diced or cut-up fresh delicate white fish, such as cod
2 cups corn kernels, preferably fresh
1 cup low-fat milk
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Directions

Start the base

Place the oil in a large, deep saucepan or casserole and turn the heat to medium.
A minute later, add the onion and potatoes.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft and the potatoes are lightly browned, about 10 minutes.

Make the chowder

Add the stock to the potatoes and onion and cook over medium‑low heat until the potatoes are just tender, about 10 minutes (you may prepare the soup in advance up to this point. Cover, refrigerate for up to 2 days, and reheat before proceeding).
Add the clams or fish chunks and corn and cook about 5 minutes.
Add the milk, then salt and plenty of pepper.

Serve

Garnish and serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1029Calories

92 gProtein

40 gFat

78 gCarbs

What these numbers assume: 11 portions

Ingredient	Portion assumed	kcal
Salmon	100g cooked	208
Chicken	100g cooked	165
Potato	1 medium (173g) baked	161
Milk	1 cup (244ml) whole	149
Olive Oil	1 tbsp (14g)	119
Shrimp	100g cooked	99
Corn	1/2 cup kernels (82g)	77
Onion	1 medium (110g)	44
Black Pepper	1 tsp ground (2.3g)	6
Parsley	1 tbsp chopped fresh (3.8g)	1
Salt	1 tsp (6g)	0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

Onion + potatotop 3% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together9,023 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Potato + corntop 5% of all pairs

Smell alikestrong

Cooked together938 recipes

Shared aroma: (e)-2-octenal (fatty, green).
Olive + potatotop 7% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together6,458 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-undecenal (sweet).
Olive + oniontop 8% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together29,779 recipes

Shared aroma: 2,4-decadienal (seaweed).
Potato + peppertop 9% of all pairs

Smell alikemoderate

Cooked together8,305 recipes

Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Potatoes: Soften and thicken the broth as their starch breaks down while cooking.
Onion: Builds a sweet, savory aromatic base for the soup.
Clams or fish: Provide the main seafood flavor and tender bite in the chowder.
Corn kernels: Add natural sweetness and a juicy, tender texture.
Low-fat milk: Adds creaminess and mellows the broth without making it heavy.

The step that matters

Cook the clams or fish briefly. Seafood turns tough and rubbery when overcooked, so add it near the end and cook only about 5 minutes until just opaque or the clams open.

Swap the onion

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (olive, potato, fish, clam, corn, milk, pepper):

Capsicumfits better
Tomatofits better
Asparagusfits better
Onionthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against olive, potato, fish, clam, corn, milk, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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Corn Fritters203 recipes

Fried Fish120 recipes

Fish Croquettes81 recipes

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Lower-fat Clam or Fish Chowder