Jerusalem Artichoke Chowder with Mussels
Mel
4
30 minutes
45 minutes
580
British
Fish
This chowder is rich, comforting and deeply savoury, built slowly from crispy lardons, aromatic herbs and sweet vegetables, then finished with mussels and a vivid drizzle of homemade chive oil. The base is cooked until soft and gently charred in places, deglazed with white wine and simmered into a smooth, velvety soup that feels indulgent without being heavy.
The chive oil is optional but transformative. Blended simply from fresh chives and oil, it adds a clean, grassy freshness that cuts through the richness of the chowder and lifts the whole dish. Once made, it becomes a useful kitchen staple — perfect for salads, risottos and soups — and gives this bowl a beautiful, restaurant-quality finish.
Served with extra herbs and warm soda bread, this is the sort of dish that feels generous and grounding, ideal for a relaxed supper or a dinner party where you want something comforting but considered.
Why you’ll love making this
It’s deeply comforting but not heavy, with richness balanced by herbs, wine and the freshness of chive oil.
The chive oil is worth it, adding colour, flavour and versatility — and you’ll find endless ways to use the rest.
It’s perfect for entertaining, as the chowder can be made ahead and reheated gently when needed.
You can choose your level of effort, using vacuum-packed mussels for ease or fresh mussels when you have the time.
It feels generous and impressive, yet relies on straightforward techniques rather than complexity.
It’s made for sharing, especially with bread on the table and bowls brought out steaming.
Ingredients
- For the chive oil (optional)
- 50g chives
- 250ml olive oil
- For the chowder:
- 100g lardons
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 sprigs thyme
- A splash of olive oil
- 2 shallots, diced
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 large carrot, chopped
- 2 celery stalks
- 600g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed clean but no need to peel
- 100ml white wine
- 500ml vegetable stock
- 200ml single cream
- For the mussels:
- 500g mussels, fresh or use vacuum packed for ease (available from supermarkets)
- 100ml white wine, if using fresh
- Extra herbs to garnish and soda bread with butter
Directions
- Make the chive oil by simply blending the chives and oil together and then passing through muslin. Pour in to a glass bottle and use within a month but it will work for salad dressings, drizzled over risotto or as in this recipe for a soup. For a more intense chive flavour you can wait a couple of days before passing through muslin.
- Take a large, sauté pan and fry off the lardons with the rosemary and thyme until crispy and then scoop out onto a plate and reserve for the end.
- Leave the herbs in the pan and add the olive oil, if needed, and diced shallot. Cook to soften and then add the garlic, chopped carrot, celery and Jerusalem artichokes. Stir everything around, cooking until slightly charred on the edges, and then pour over the white wine, cooking until almost entirely reduced, followed by the stock. Simmer gently to cook everything until softened and then remove the herb stalks and process until you have a smooth and velvety veloute. Return the bacon to the chowder. At this stage you can refrigerate the chowder until ready to serve which makes it perfect for dinner parties.
- If using vacuum packed mussels (a very easy option), simply follow the packet instructions which usually involves microwaving them for a couple of minutes. If using fresh mussels, wash them under cold water to clean them and remove any beards and tap any that are open so they close. Take a large lidded pot, add the white wine and mussels to it and heat until steaming. Set a timer for 3-4 minutes and then remove the lid to reveal cooked and opened mussels. Whether vacuum packed or fresh, pour the mussels and their cooking liquid into the chowder.
- Divide the chowder between bowls and serve, drizzled with chive oil, if you’ve made it, and extra herbs and soda bread.