Irish Seafood Chowder
Creamy, chunky and full of fish: the chowder served in pubs all along the Irish coast, with brown bread for dipping.
AI assistance: the introduction, ingredient list, method, tips and FAQ on this page were drafted with an AI writing tool, working from long-established traditional methods. Named editor who reviewed it: owner to supply How we work
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Makes
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Course
- Soup
- Cuisine
- Irish
Order seafood chowder in almost any Irish coastal pub and you get a thick, creamy soup of potatoes, vegetables and several kinds of fish, with a slice of buttered brown bread. It is easy to make at home with a mix of fish from the counter.
Ingredients
Cups use the King Arthur Baking ingredient weight chart. Weighing is more accurate.
- 25 g butter
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 leek, sliced
- 2 celery sticks, diced
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 500 ml fish stock
- 300 ml milk
- 150 ml double cream (US: heavy cream)
- 500 g mixed fish, such as smoked haddock, salmon and white fish, skinned and cut into chunks
- 150 g cooked prawns or mussels, optional
- 1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
- salt and ground white pepper
Equipment
Shop links are affiliate links (disclosure).
Method
- 1
Melt the butter in a large pan and cook the onion, leek and celery gently for 8 minutes until soft.
- 2
Add the potatoes and stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 10–12 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- 3
Pour in the milk and cream and bring back to a gentle simmer. Add the fish and simmer for 4–5 minutes, until it is opaque and flakes easily.
- 4
Stir in the prawns or mussels to heat through, then the parsley. Season and serve with brown bread.
Photo: Benreis via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0, cropped
Tips
Serve with wheaten bread or Irish soda bread. For a Scottish cousin, try cullen skink.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Fish breaks up | Stirred too much or boiled | Simmer gently and stir carefully |
| Too thin | Not enough potato | Crush a few potatoes into the soup |
Frequently asked questions
What fish is best for seafood chowder?
A mix: smoked haddock for flavour, salmon for colour and a firm white fish. Fish counter "pie mix" works well.
Can I use frozen fish?
Yes. Thaw it in the fridge first, then add it as fresh.
How do I know the fish is cooked?
It turns opaque all the way through and flakes easily, usually after 4–5 minutes at a gentle simmer.
Guides for this recipe
Some of these guides contain shop links, which are affiliate links (disclosure).
More Irish Food recipes
Recipe · 1 hr 55 min
Bacon and Cabbage with Parsley Sauce
Ireland's classic family dinner: a boiled bacon joint, cabbage cooked in the same pot and a creamy parsley sauce.
Recipe · 1 hr 30 min
Barmbrack (Irish Tea Brack)
A dark, sticky Irish fruit loaf made with tea-soaked fruit: the traditional bake for Halloween.
Recipe · 3 hr 30 min
Beef and Guinness Stew
Chunks of braising beef slow-cooked with stout, onions and carrots until tender, in a deep, glossy gravy.
Card photos: A chef's knife with a wooden handle, Frank Schulenburg via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; Copper pans and a kettle on an old kitchen range, Silar via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A small stainless steel saucepan with a lid, Cooks & Kitchens from Darlington, UK via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; Kitchen knives held on a wall-mounted magnetic strip, Phil! Gold from Pikesville, MD, USA via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped; Sliced boiled bacon with cabbage and a creamy white sauce, Miss Ayumi via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0, cropped; A barmbrack cut open to show the dried fruit inside, Solo Beckett via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped; A bowl of Irish beef stew with potatoes, beside a pint of Guinness, User:Jpatokal via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped. All credits: image credits.