Sweetcorn and fish chowder

Sweetcorn and fish chowder with cornbread from Sainsbury's little ones recipe book.

This is one of our favourite recipes in this house- and one of Shaun's 'dishes' to cook.

I don't always do the cornbread as I'm not very good at it but the chowder is just gorgeous. I always use smoked fish as I prefer it but you can use unsmoked if you want. I also prefer to do it with sweet potato rather than butternut squash!


For the cornbread
125g Sainsbury’s polenta
125g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
50g mature Cheddar, grated
2 medium free-range eggs
150g natural yogurt
150ml Sainsbury’s whole milk
25g unsalted butter, melted
For the chowder
20g unsalted butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
300g butternut squash, cubed
2 medium floury potatoes, cubed
300ml Sainsbury’s Signature vegetable stock
100ml Sainsbury’s double cream
300ml Sainsbury’s whole milk
300g frozen sweetcorn
300g Sainsbury’s line-caught cod loin, cubed
Small bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped


Preparation time:
25 minutes
Cooking time:
25-30 minutes


Preheat the oven to 200°C, fan 180°C, gas 6. Grease a 23cm square baking tin.

Make the cornbread. In a large bowl, mix together the polenta, flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, spring onions and Cheddar until combined. Make a well in the centre and set aside.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, milk and melted butter. Pour this mixture into the well of the dry ingredients and stir until everything is combined. Pour the batter into the greased baking tin and bake in the oven for 20 mins until golden.

Meanwhile, make the chowder. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and gently cook the shallots and garlic for 3 mins until softened. Stir in the squash and potatoes, and cook for a further 5 mins. Pour over the vegetable stock, double cream and milk, and bring to a gentle simmer.

Add the sweetcorn and simmer for 5 mins. Using either a hand-held blender or a free-standing blender, purée half of the mixture until thickened and smooth. Return the puréed mixture to the pan, add the fish and parsley, and cook for a further 5 mins until the fish is opaque.