Hey, Posh Pescatarians! It’s Stephanie, and today, I’m taking you on a Caribbean-inspired journey that combines delicious food, sustainability, and a day at the beach. In this episode, we’re making a Turks and Caicos-inspired chowder, but with a twist. Instead of using conch, which has sustainability issues, we’re swapping it out for calamari steaks. Trust me, this substitution works beautifully!
What makes today even more exciting is that we’ll be cooking our chowder with a thermal cooker! This little kitchen wonder allows us to cook on the go, making it perfect for outdoor adventures like beach picnics. After bringing the chowder to a boil, we’ll let the thermal cooker do the rest of the work—no extra power needed. It’s a great way to enjoy delicious food while being eco-friendly.
With a hearty mix of calamari, potatoes, tomatoes, and cilantro, this chowder is full of flavor. The addition of coconut milk makes it rich and creamy, and a squeeze of lime adds the perfect bright note. Once the chowder is ready, we’ll take it to the beach and set up in the back of my Jeep for a casual, seaside dining experience.
The best part? The calamari is tender and full of flavor, thanks to the thermal cooking process. It’s a meal that feels like a mini vacation, no packing required—just your appetite and a sense of adventure.
So, if you’re looking for a sustainable, flavorful dish that’s perfect for a beach day or outdoor adventure, this Caribbean-inspired calamari chowder is a must-try! Until next time, bon appétit from The Posh Pescatarian!
Beach-Ready Calamari Chowder
Equipment
- 1 Thermal Cooker
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 1 garlic clove finely chopped
- 1 cup celery
- 1 cup scallion spring onions
- 1/2 habanero pepper
- 1 tsp dried orange peel chopped up finely
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp lemon thyme
- 1 Lime zest and juice
- 1 can whole peeled tomatoes
- 1/4 cup clam juice
- 3 cups of water
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 can light coconut milk
- 1 potato peeled and diced
- 1 cup cilantro coriander
- 2 lbs calamari steak
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Put the inner pot on a medium heat
- Add the olive oil
- Add the onion, garlic, celery and scallions. Give everything a stir
- Leave until the onion has softened but don’t let the onions colour.
- Once softened add the habanero pepper, orange peel, bay leaves, white pepper and thyme. Give everything a stir.
- Now add the zest and the juice of a lime before adding the tin of tomatoes. If using whole skinned tomatoes squeeze them in.
- Pour in the clam juice, water, white wine and tin of coconut milk. Once again stir well and turn up the heat to bring everything to the boil.
- Once boiling add the diced potato, cilantro and salt to taste. This will take the contents off the boil so bring them back to the boil before adding the calamari.
- Place the lid on the inner pot and once boiling again turn of the heat and place the inner pot into the outer container and shut the lid
- Leave to cook without power for a minimum of 1 hour. You can of course leave it longer if you wish.
- Once cooked serve in bowl with fresh crusty bread.