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The classic cream-style chowder

This recipe is inspired by those creamy seafood chowders served at some of the most storied pubs in Ireland. Have a small bowl as a soup course or make it a meal with a large bowl. Either way, it’s a hearty combination of seafood and vegatables in a thick creamy broth. With so many seafood options, every pub or home cook will have their own variation.

As seafood chowders go, the fish, shellfish and mollusk options are rather flexible. It makes good sense to work with the most readily available ingredients. If you have the luxury to pick up some fresh seafood then you’ll enjoy that freshness in your chowder. Otherwise, you can work with what you have on hand in any combination of fresh or frozen.

Cliffs of Moher, County Claire, Ireland. Photo: Mick Haupt

Choose your seafood ingredients

In Ireland, any combination of fresh local fish, shellfish or mollusks are considered for a traditional Irish seafood chowder. This may include haddock, cod, hake, pollack (coley), salmon, mussels, clams (cockles) and shrimp (prawns). Smoked haddock, cod or pollock is usually added to impart a rich smoky flavour. You can also use smoked oysters if you can’t get your hands on any of the above smoked fish.

When preparing the seafood be careful to remove all bones and shells. Also, make sure that all of your seafood ingredients are cut up into bite size pieces. So mussels and small shrimps can stay whole but large shrimps, for example, should be cut up.

Chowder cooking tips

It seems each time I make this chowder, it comes out slightly different. For starters, I’ve rarely used the exact same combination of seafood. The time I used smoked salmon, I found it a bit overpowering. You’ll get a little smokiness from the bacon too. You can also substitute the bacon for lardons or pancetta.

vegatables

For the vegetables, you’ll use one medium onion, one large stock of celery and one medium-sized carrot to get about one cup of each ingredient.

cream broth

While chowders and cream soups are often made with just heavy cream, I prefer to reduce the cream and use milk thickened with flour. This helps to reduce the calorie count and the cost too. To prevent lumps of flour in your broth make sure to either whisk the flour and milk in a bowl or blend them with a gravey shaker.

This recipe makes four large servings or six medium servings.

Irish Seafood Chowder

Kevin Lamoureux

A combination of North Atlantic seafood is simmered in a creamy broth with bacon and some tender vegetables.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Course Soup

Cuisine Irish

Servings 6

Calories 364 kcal

Ingredients

3 slices bacon chopped up
2 tbsp butter
1 cup onion finely chopped
1 cup celery finely chopped
1 cup carrot finely chopped
2 cups fish stock or vegetable broth
1 tsp thyme
1 bay leaf
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
8 oz skinless haddock, cod or salmon filets cut into bite size pieces
2 oz smoked haddock, cod, pollack or oysters cut into bite size pieces
4 oz medium sized shrimp or mussels shells removed
2 medium potatoes peeled and diced into bite-size pieces
2½ cups milk
⅓ cup flour
½ cup cream
1 tbsp fresh parsley finely chopped
½ tsp paprika

Instructions

In a Dutch oven or large pot with a lid, cook the bacon until the fat has rendered.
Add the butter, onion, celery and carrot and sauté for about 5 minutes.
Add the stock and potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk and flour. Add the milk mixture, thyme, bay leaf, salt and pepper to stock pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add the seafood and simmer striring frequently for about 5 minutes or until the seafood is cooked. The shrimp should be opaque and the fish flakey.
Remove the bay leaf, stir in the cream and heat for for about a minute before serving. Garnish with parsley and paprika.

Notes

Serve with traditional Irish soda bread, soda crackers or crusty bread .

Nutrition

Per serving

Keyword chowder, seafood

Originally published 3/17/2016. Revised and republished 3/8/2023

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7 replies on “Irish Seafood Chowder”

[…] Irish Seafood Chowder […]

Excellent recipe. I doubled it and use scallops, shrimp, and cod. I also add corn. Everyone loved it.

Thank you Carol. Your comments and 5-stars are much appreciated.