Irish fish chowder is a delicious mix of smoked and fresh fish in a light, gently creamy broth. Full of flavor, easy to make and perfect for lunch.
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I've mentioned before (eg when I shared my white sangria) that I often find St Patrick's Day a bit over-done, but when our posting day for Fish Friday Foodies falls ON the day, I can understand why Heather found it hard to resist!
After a bit of digging for ideas, I decided to make an Irish fish chowder, and it was such a delicious choice. With a bit of smokiness from the bacon and smoked haddock, plenty of fish and a creamy broth, it's a tasty, comforting bowl. It's also really easy to make.
Believe it or not, despite being surrounded by water, fish is not actually that common in Irish cooking. There are many reasons, but over time fish became associated with the poor. It's only more recently that it has become more popular again.
Now towns like Dublin and Galway are making the most of their seafood and you'll see it highlighted in eg the Galway Oyster Festival.
What distinguishes an Irish fish chowder?
Most fish/seafood chowders have a relatively similar base of fish, potatoes and onions. Most use some cream, though not all. After that, things can vary in the additional flavors, types of seafood and thickness.
Most New England versions, for example, use salt pork and use white fish such as cod or haddock. New England chowders also tend to be fairly thick, while only a few Irish versions will thicken the base.
An Irish chowder generally uses a mix of fresh and smoked fish, with the fresh fish often a combination of white fish and salmon. Most use bacon, with the odd ones going a bit fancy with pancetta (though that's less traditional, obviously).
You'll see mussels in some but not in others. Given I love mussels, I for one wasn't going to miss them out. Some other additions include other seafood from the region like crab or shrimp (prawns).
All, though, are wonderfully hearty and delicious. They have generally evolved over the centuries as a way to use up scraps of fish left from the latest catch, along with local produce that is easy to come by. Simple, but with wonderful flavor.
Steps to make Irish fish chowder
This fish or seafood chowder is really pretty easy and quick to make.
- Cook the onion and bacon a couple minutes until onions soften.
- Add the potatoes then pour in the stock, along with some herbs.
- Cook for a few minutes until the potatoes are tender but not falling apart.
- Add the fish and let it cook in the stock for a few minutes before adding the cream.
- It's then ready to serve and enjoy.
You might want to make some soda bread rolls to go alongside and mop up all the flavorful broth.
I know it's getting towards the end of true soup season, but this Irish fish chowder is light enough to be enjoyed any time. Full of fantastic flavor, packed with fish and gently creamy, it's a wonderfully tasty lunch or start to a meal.
Try these other warming soups:
- Scotch broth (made with barley and stock)
- Avgolemono soup (Greek lemon and chicken soup)
- Cullen skink (Scottish smoked haddock chowder)
- Brussel sprout soup with crisp bacon and chestnuts
- Shrimp bisque
- Plus get more comforting ideas in the winter recipes archives.
If you can't find smoked haddock locally, this smoked haddock available online would be a great choice (affiliate link).
Irish fish chowder
Ingredients
- 1 onion small
- 2 oz smoked bacon (streaky)
- 8 oz potatoes
- ½ tablespoon butter
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- salt and pepper
- 3 cups fish stock (or a light stock eg vegetable, if you don't have)
- 6 oz smoked haddock
- 6 oz haddock or cod
- 4.5 oz salmon
- 7 oz mussels
- ½ cup heavy cream double cream
- 1 tablespoon parsley chopped
Instructions
- Finely dice the onion, thinly slice the bacon and peel and dice the potatoes into around ½in/1cm dice.
- Melt the butter in a medium pot over a medium heat and add the onion. Soften for a minute or two then add the bacon. Cook around 5 minutes until bacon is cooked but not browning and onion is translucent.
- Add the potatoes, cook a minute then add the thyme, bay leaf and stock. Season with a little salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and simmer for around 10-15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked but not falling apart (they'll be just tender to a knifepoint).
- As it's simmering, dice all the fish in roughly bite-sized pieces, removing any skin, and wash the mussels. Once the potatoes are tender, add the smoked haddock, haddock, salmon and mussels to the pot. Gently push the fish and mussels under the stock and cook for another 5 minutes until the fish is cooked and the mussels open up. Discard any mussels that don't open.
- Remove from the heat, add the cream and parsley and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store.
See all the other Irish-inspired recipes being shared for today's Fish Friday Foodies:
- Dublin Lawyer (lobster in whiskey cream sauce) from All Roads Lead to the Kitchen
- Smoked Trout and Horseradish Pate from Karen's Kitchen Adventures
- Molly Malone's Drunken Mussels from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Drunken Irish Mussels from Faith Hope Love and Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
- Fish and Chips with Seaweed Salt from Palatable Pastime
Remember to pin for later!
Old Airborne Dog says
Very similar to Finnan Haddy/Cullen Skink. Which I learned to make from my Scottish and Irish grandparents, respectively.
I'd like to try this recipe and add it to the repertoire alongside Finnan Haddy and Cullen Skink - except that smoked haddock cannot be found in any of the supermarkets in this part of Montana up in the Continental Divide a little south of Glacier National Park.
Anyone with a method of faking smoked haddock with a similar white fleshed fish and without a smoker, I'm all ears.
At this point I'm going to set aside a day for attempting to replicate it by soaking cod or flounder in milk that has had some liquid smoke added to it.
Any other ideas, Caroline?
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, it does indeed have some similarities to cullen skink, though this has a broader mix of seafood. I'm not sure what I'd suggest on replicating smoked haddock per se, though your idea does feel it could get you some way there. The other option, though, is to just use some other kind of smoked fish to still have some smokey flavor, just a different fish in the mix. So for example a little smoked salmon, or eg smoked trout/bluefish if you can get that. I would also say the fact this has smoked bacon in there as well helps with some of that flavor, too.
Old Airborne Dog says
Thank you for your response! Thank you, but I will pass on both the suggestion to use other smoked fish of the red fleshed varieties to sub for smoked haddock as I also take a pass on including mussels in a seafood chowder.
On our west coast, a seafood chowder would probably have a combination of ling cod, coonstripe prawns, giant scallops, and abalone. Skate, after using a suitably sized cookie cutter, can pass for giant scallops on most diners' plates in appearance and taste. They went in chowders as well.
I was commercial geoduck diver along the west coast of Canada circa the early 1970's for a few years in my salad days, from the San Juans at the south end to the Portland Canal up in Alaska. We pretty much lived on whatever was in the water below where we dropped the hook to anchor each night. Check the bottom out below the hull wondering what's for dinner before taking the drysuit off at the end of the working day... Seafood chowder made from whatever was down there and cans of condensed milk was often the meal of the day.
I have an obsessive love of cold smoked salmon or salmon grilled on a stray piece of cedar plank. But it seems out of place soaking in a chowder or soup. Ditto for mussels and oysters that we went ashore and picked by the five gallon fire bucket either off the shore or from the dolphins they had homesteaded on. Love 'em - but not in a chowder or soup.
Mussels, clams, salmon, halibut ended up being the main course when they were the dinner menu. Never ate better in my life, despite the spartan galley that we had to cook with. Probably never lived better in my life either, now that I think about it 50 years later.
Michael Hardwick says
Hi, can you freeze this chowder. Thanks Mike
Caroline's Cooking says
So, soups with dairy in them are best not frozen as the milk/cream can separate out and not mix back in. So if you did, I would certainly freeze without the cream and add that in after you defrost and warm it through. The other thing is the fish may well break up more on freezing, so be aware of that. I don't think it would freeze as well as some other soups, but as long as you keep these points in mind, it should otherwise work.
Patrick says
So when do you add the cream? I assume near the end?
Caroline's Cooking says
Yes, if you see step 5 it says remove from heat, add the cream and parsley - you don't want to heat the cream properly as it can separate. Enjoy!
Patrick says
Thank you - I did not see that. I made this w/o the mussels, using fresh cod and smoked salmon - so simple and good! Very tasty!
Jonathan says
Can this be made in advance and then reheated? Or is it better fresh? I’m having a party later today.
Caroline's Cooking says
I would say it will be better fresh - the main thing is you risk overcooking the fish when you re-heat. But you could certainly cook it as far as having the potatoes tender and have all your fish diced ahead of time - just put the fish back in it's wrapping/in a box and refrigerate. Then warm the soup through when you are ready, add the fish and it should just take around 5 minutes until the fish cooks and the mussels open up which will make it a lot quicker and easier later. Enjoy!
Dublin Kids says
Thank you for a lovely posts! This looks simply gorgeous. I have never made fish chowder at home, but i eat it at some restaurants. And always thinking i have to find it out how to make it. My favorite is salmon chowder. Gorgeous. and its quite filling 🙂
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, it's a tasty dish and this version has been well enjoyed by us. I can see salmon being tasty, for sure (and I have some in this mix!)
Laura Ambrose says
I found most of the ingredients for this soup at Costco, including smoked whitefish, a medley of shellfish, salmon and as a substitute for haddock, I got New Zealand hoki -- a cold water whitefish. I added some diced celery and left off the bacon because I'm a pescatarian. It was delicious, and really easy to make. It was a perfect Lent/St. Pat's dinner for our family. Doubling the recipe was the perfect amount for 8 of us.
Caroline's Cooking says
So glad you enjoyed it and found it easy, and glad the adaptations worked well too.
Ramona says
I love fish chowder and yours looks divine. Such a great idea to adding some mussels too. Thank you for sharing 🙏🤗
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, they work so well in there with everything else.
Catherine Brown says
Oh, wow! This looks so fresh and delicious!! I haven't had fish chowder in a while... I definitely need to make this!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, it's easy to make and so tasty!
Beth says
Oh man! That sounds absolutely AMAZING!! I'm crazy about seafood. I have to make this for the family!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Beth, we're big seafood fans too and loved this soup.
Colleen says
Seafood, potatoes, and cream...you've stolen my heart!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, glad to hear it 🙂 it's so tasty!
Julie says
This chowder looks so good and creamy! I love mussels and all of the other flavors here!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Julie, the flavors are so delicious!
frugal hausfrau says
Caroline, beautiful recipe as usual and it was fun to learn about Irish chowder - a great recipe for St. Paddy's and Lent!
I've noticed though that New England chowders and most American chowders of any kind have gotten thicker and thicker over the years!
Mollie
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Mollie, I agree it would be great for Lent too (and, well, any time). I know what you mean, chowders do seem thicker here (though I don't have so many years of background reference).
Heather | All Roads Lead to the Kitchen says
Fish chowder was in my top 3 favorite things to eat when I was in Ireland. I'm such a sucker for smoked fish, and I loved that it was always present in my bowl. Your recipe sounds incredible!
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Heather, the smoked fish does really make this dish for me, adds such a great flavor.
P~ says
That sounds wonderful, Caroline. I love the bacon in it! It's gorgeous, too. P~
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks, the bacon goes really well with everything else, that little extra smokiness and flavor.
Camilla @ Culinary Adventures says
This looks fantastic! There's no end to soup season!! 😉
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Camilla, continue on with the soup, and especially do give this one a try!
Karen says
I love this chowder!! You combination of fish looks divine! Such a beautiful presentation too.
Caroline's Cooking says
Thanks Karen, it's a fairly classic combination for this chowder and works so well - lots of great flavor.
Wendy Klik says
There's an end to soup season?? Please, say it isn't so....I could eat this delicious chowder any time of the year and any day of the week. YUMMO
Caroline's Cooking says
Ha, maybe I shouldn't have suggested that, or it's just me - continue with soup! At least certainly ones like this 🙂 Thanks Wendy.