How I Make Irish Seafood Chowder, and Why It Matters More Than You Think!
Chowder is never just chowder.It’s history, poverty, weather, and hospitality in a bowl. I’ve cooked it in fine dining kitchens and tiny cafés. The best version is still the simplest.
The Ingredients I Grew Up With
You don’t need luxury to make great chowder. You need respect.
Smoked haddock
Salmon or white fish
Prawns (if you’re feeling generous)
Potatoes
Onion, celery and garlic
Butter, cream, and a good stock
That’s it - no tricks!
How I Cook It (The Honest Way)
Sweat onion, garlic, celery in butter slowly, gently.
Add potatoes and stock. Simmer, don’t rush.
Add the fish in stages firm first, delicate last.
Finish with cream, parsley, white pepper, and restraint.
The biggest mistake? Boiling it like a stew. Chowder should be treated like a conversation - gentle, not shouted.
Why Chowder Became My Signature
People come in cold. Walkers, golfers, surfers, farmers. They sit down, wrap their hands around the bowl, and you can see something soften. Chowder warms more than the body. It slows people down. It makes strangers talk. That’s hospitality.
Chef’s Memory
My grandmother’s chowder tasted different every time. It depended on what the sea gave, what the shop had, and how tired she was. That’s real cooking.
Kieran Duey Doherty