Recipe
🥗 STARTER
Bermuda Fish Chowder
A dark, tomatoey fish chowder finished at the table with black rum and sherry pepper sauce.
Bermudian · medium · serves 6
prep 20 min · cook 60 min
~239 cal · 27g protein · 27g carbs · 1g fat · 5g fiber · 6g sugars · 0g sat fat (estimated, per serving)
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Bermuda fish chowder is the national dish of the mid-Atlantic island, a dark, deeply savoury soup that reflects Bermuda's British colonial past and its Atlantic bounty. It is a fixture of restaurants and home kitchens alike.
Unlike creamy New England chowders, this one is tomato-based and long-simmered until dark and rich, built on fish, onion, and a base darkened with tomato and . What sets it apart is the finish, added at the table: a splash of black rum and a few drops of sherry pepper sauce.
Those two local condiments lift the whole bowl, adding warmth and heat. Bermuda fish chowder is a proud island tradition, the taste of the Atlantic given a distinctly Bermudian, spirit-laced signature.
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Make it yours
✓ Naturally dairy-, egg-, nut- and pork-free. No swaps needed.
Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.
🥕 Vegetarian
🌱 Vegan
🌾 Gluten-Free
🥛 Dairy-Free
🥜 Nut-Free
🥚 Egg-Free
🐖 Pork-Free
Dietary labels are a cooking guide, not allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish; we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, read the label on every product you use, and note that a kitchen can cross-contaminate in ways a recipe cannot control.
Ingredients
US
Metric
Serves 6
1.5 lb firm white fish
6 cups fish
3 tbsp flour, for thickening
4 tomatoes
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 onion
2 carrot
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb potatoes, diced
1 tbsp Worcestershire
2 bay
1 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp black rum, to finish
to taste sherry pepper sauce, to finish
Instructions
1
Soften the onion, carrot, and celery in oil for about 10 minutes, add the garlic for a minute, then stir in the flour and cook a minute more.
2
Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, Worcestershire, bay, thyme, allspice, and lemon juice.
3
Simmer 30 minutes to build a dark, savory base.
✎ Chef’s note
Bermuda fish chowder is meant to be dark and deep. Give the tomato base its full simmer to develop that colour and richness.
4
Add the potatoes and simmer until nearly tender, then the fish (or hearts of palm and mushrooms), and cook gently until just done.
5
Adjust the seasoning until the chowder is deep and rich.
6
Serve with black rum and sherry pepper sauce stirred in at the table.
✎ Chef’s note
Bermudians put some of both into the pot as it simmers and pass the bottles at the table too. Goslings Black Seal and Outerbridge's Sherry Peppers are the island standards.
Hamilton tradition.
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🌏 While it simmers, know your destination
📍
Hamilton. Bermuda fish chowder takes no flour and no cream. The body comes from long reduction and the gelatin in fish heads and bones, and the tomato base is dark. The rum and the sherry peppers go in at the table by the diner, and Bermudians count both as part of the dish rather than a garnish.
🗺️
Bermuda. Bermudian fish chowder takes no flour and no cream, and cooks are emphatic about it: the body comes from long reduction and from the gelatin in fish heads and bones. It is finished at the table with two things, black rum and sherry peppers, the latter descended from a sailors' habit of fortifying sherry with bird's-eye chillies.
🌍
North America. North America's table began with Indigenous foodways, the "three sisters" of corn, beans, and squash, plus chiles, tomatoes, and cacao, then layered on colonial, African, and immigrant influences. From Mexico's UNESCO-recognized cuisine to the Cajun and Creole pots of Louisiana and the fiery jerk of the Caribbean, the region turns ancient staples into something new. Barbecue, tacos, gumbo, and mole all carry stories of migration and adaptation.
The story behind this dish is up top, worth a read while the pot works.
More from Bermuda
Codfish and PotatoesBermuda's traditional Sunday plate: salt cod and potatoes with egg, avocado, banana, and a tomato or egg sauce.
Bermuda Banana BreadA dense, moist banana loaf, lightly spiced and buttery, that Bermudians bake for breakfast and afternoon tea alike.
Bermuda Fish SandwichA generous fried fish fillet piled with slaw and tartar sauce on sweet raisin bread, Bermuda's iconic weekend lunch.
Browse all Bermuda recipes →
Good to know
Storing it: Soup keeps 3 to 4 days refrigerated and freezes well. Reheat gently and loosen with a little water or stock if needed.
Make it a Bermuda meal
Rum SwizzleDrink
Bermuda Rum CakeDessert
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Frequently asked questions
What is Bermuda Fish Chowder?
A dark, tomatoey fish chowder finished at the table with black rum and sherry pepper sauce.
Where does Bermuda Fish Chowder come from?
Bermuda Fish Chowder is a Bermudian dish from Hamilton, Bermuda.
Can Bermuda Fish Chowder be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?
This Bermuda Fish Chowder recipe includes substitution suggestions for vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, egg-free, and pork-free versions, including several at once such as gluten-free and dairy-free together. Treat them as a starting guide rather than a guarantee, and see the allergen note below.
Is Bermuda Fish Chowder safe for people with food allergies?
Our dietary labels and substitutions are a cooking guide, not medical or allergen-safety advice. We track dairy, egg, gluten, tree nuts and peanuts (we count coconut as a tree nut, following FDA labeling), fish, and shellfish, but we do not screen for sesame, soy, mustard, celery, or sulphites. If you have a food allergy, always read the label on every product you use, and remember a home or commercial kitchen can cross-contaminate ingredients in ways a recipe cannot control.
How long does Bermuda Fish Chowder take to make?
About 80 minutes total (20 minutes prep, 60 minutes cooking), serving 6.
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