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The Best Irish Seafood Chowder

The Best Irish Seafood Chowder

This is the best Irish Seafood Chowder recipe! Inspired by our 7-day road trip in Ireland, it is the ultimate bowl of Irish comfort food.

My Irish Seafood Chowder is a delicious and filling bowl of warmth with flavors of the Emerald Isle sea. It has chunks of salmon, cod, mussels, and hearty vegetables.

The secret (not so secret) smoked salmon brings this creamy chowder to another level! The smoked salmon elevates the seafood chowder with a hint of smokiness, bringing a bold flavor to every bite.

The long list of ingredients might look daunting, but fear not—my Irish Seafood Chowder is quick and easy to make any day of the week. It will be your new favorite recipe for a cold, rainy day. Better yet, make it to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day!



What is Irish Seafood Chowder?

A light blue plate with a bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder with open mussels, chunks of cod, and salmon.

A chowder is typically a rich soup with a creamy base and chunks of potatoes, vegetables, and seafood. What makes Irish Seafood Chowder unique is the smoked fish.

Traditionally, Irish Seafood Chowder will have smoked haddock, smoked salmon, or a mix of both. The hint of smokiness from the fish adds a layer of richness to the chowder.

Ireland, known for its land and sea, is among the world’s best producers of high-quality meat, dairy, and seafood. Mussels, cod, haddock, prawns, oysters, and wild Atlantic salmon are just a few of the bountiful fish and shellfish around the Emerald Isle. 

Given the abundant rainfall year-round, easily accessible seafood, hearty potatoes, and high-quality dairy, it is no wonder why Irish Seafood Chowder is an Irish favorite comfort food. Like Guinness Beef Stew, you can find Irish Seafood Chowder in almost any pub. 

Every Irish pub and restaurant will have its take on seafood chowder. Some will use bacon, while others keep it meat-free—but you can always guarantee that it will be creamy and delicious, packed with flavor, utilizing a mix of fish and Irish potatoes. 



Savoring Irish Seafood Chowder in Dublin

A bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder with open mussels, chunks of cod, and salmon.

We spent 7 incredible days in Ireland visiting coastal towns, iconic Game of Thrones sights, and exploring castles. To end our journey, we spent our last few days in Dublin, where we checked off a bucket list item—watching a traditional Irish step dancing show!

We went to Johnnie Fox’s, known for being the highest pub in Ireland and its entertaining “Hooley Show.” The show includes a live band playing traditional Irish music with some Irish craic, a spectacular step-dancing performance, and a delicious four-course meal.

We knew the Hooley Show would be amazing, but we did not realize the meal would be one of the best of the entire trip! It all started with a tower of steamed mussels in cider and a warm bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder.

This bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder was packed with flavors of the sea. Every bite comforted my body and soul. Before I could finish a bite, I was already getting another spoonful. It was the best seafood chowder of my life! 

A heaping plate of a 12-hour Braised Lamb Shank followed our seafood starters. The meat was so juicy and tender that it completely fell off the bone. We finished the Hooley Show with a decadent Chocolate Whiskey Cake. 

The entire meal and entertaining show was the perfect ending to our epic Ireland road trip. I long to return to Johnnie Foxes to feel the room’s energy and taste their award-winning food again. 

So I did the next best thing. I took inspiration and created this Irish Seafood Chowder recipe to enjoy in the comfort of my home with traditional Irish music playing from Spotify.



List of Ingredients for Irish Seafood Chowder

A few pieces of sourdough bread next to a spoon going into a bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder with open mussels, chunks of cod, and salmon.

Seafood is the star of this recipe, so you might think it needs to be fresh and never frozen. That is not necessarily true (you can read more about this below in my Tips & Tidbits). I do recommend only using fresh mussels.

You do not need to stick to one firm white fish. You can use a variety of cod, sea bass, haddock, and pollock if you like. I only use salmon and cod because they are my two favorite fish, commonly used in Ireland.

Traditionally, Irish Seafood Chowder includes smoked haddock, but that can be difficult to find in the United States. Smoked salmon is a great alternative and easily accessible.

Make sure you use cold-smoked salmon, not hot-smoked! Hot-smoked salmon dramatically changes the texture and flavor of the Irish Seafood Chowder.

This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.

  • Unsalted butter
  • Yellow or sweet onion
  • Leek
  • Carrot
  • Garlic
  • Russet or Yukon gold potatoes
  • Smoked salmon
  • Salmon
  • Cod (or other flaky white firm fish such as haddock, sea bass, pollock)
  • Mussels
  • Dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc
  • Fish stock or vegetable stock
  • Heavy cream
  • Whole milk
  • All purpose flour (or cornstarch for gluten free)
  • Fresh bay leaf
  • Fresh thyme
  • Fresh tarragon
  • Fresh parsley
  • Salt
  • Pepper



How to Make Irish Seafood Chowder

A sprig of fresh thyme next to a light blue plate with a bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder with open mussels, chunks of cod, and salmon.

Making Irish Seafood Chowder is easy and quick. It takes about 20 minutes of preparation, or less with a vegetable chopper, and 30 minutes of cooking on the stove. The result is a creamy bowl of soup that tastes like the Irish coast.

This is a brief overview. Please refer to the full recipe description at the end of this post.

Prep vegetables, herbs, and seafood – dice your vegetables and herbs, and cut the seafood into chunks.

Cook vegetables – melt the unsalted butter in a large pot, and sauté the vegetables with salt to help sweat them. Once the vegetables are soft, add the garlic and cook until aromatic.

Add liquid – deglaze the pot with white wine and cook until the liquid reduces in half. Then add fish stock and bring to a boil.

A spoon going into a bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder with mussels, chunks of cod and salmon, and chopped parsley on top. A blue cheesecloth napkin, sprig of thyme, and chunks of bread are surrounding the bowl of chowder.

Add potatoes – and cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes.

Make a roux – while you wait for the potatoes, melt two tablespoons of butter in a separate saucepan. Add two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and whisk the mixture until it’s light brown. Add milk and continue whisking until the roux is smooth and thick. Once the potatoes are tender, add the roux to the large pot and stir to combine. *** For gluten-free: mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with milk. Make sure it fully dissolves and add to the pot.

Add all the seafood – to the pot. Then pour the cream and add the bay leaves, fresh thyme, fresh tarragon, and season with salt and pepper.

Simmer – the Irish seafood chowder for at least 15 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Enjoy – ladle the chowder into bowls, sprinkle fresh parsley on top, and serve with soda bread. Enjoy!



Tips and Tidbits

A spoon going into a bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder with open mussels, chunks of cod, and salmon. A plate of sliced bread and a fresh sprig of thyme next to the bowl.


How to Clean Mussels

Place the mussels in a colander in the sink and run cold water over them. Use your hands or a clean scrubbing brush to rub off debris, such as seaweed, on the outer shell. Pull out any beards (a thin, slimy membrane string) and discard them.

If you find any mussels with open shells, squeeze them a few times or lightly tap them against the side of the sink. The mussel should slowly close itself back up. If it doesn’t, the mussel is dead, and you must throw it away.


Can I Use Frozen Fish?

Yes, you can use fresh or frozen salmon, cod, haddock, sea bass, or pollock for the Irish Seafood Chowder. The mussels should be fresh (and used within two days of buying). Smoked salmon should be in a vacuum-sealed package.

Frozen fish is the best option because it’s flash-frozen at sea or soon after arriving at the port before transit. Flash-freezing helps the fish stay fresh and retain its flavor and nutrients. So when you defrost the fish properly, it’s as fresh as you can buy (if you are inland).

Whereas the fish on ice at the grocery store might be “fresh,” it’s probably at least three days from being caught. So unless you are catching wild salmon and cod off the coast, the “freshest” seafood you can buy at the grocery store is flash-frozen.

A bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder with mussels, chunks of cod and salmon, and chopped parsley on top of a light blue plate.

How to Defrost Fish

Placing frozen fish in the refrigerator overnight is the best way to defrost fish. This slow process helps the fish maintain its texture and firmness.

To properly defrost the fish in the refrigerator, remove it from its packaging and place it on a plate lined with paper towels (you can lightly put plastic wrap on top if you desire). Then rinse the fish with water, and pat dry before cooking.

A quicker way to defrost fish is to submerge the fillets in cold water. Remove the fish from its packaging, place it in a clean plastic bag, seal it tight, and fully sink it in cold water.

Then, check the fish every 10 minutes to see if it defrosted. If the water feels room temperature, dump the water out and refill the bowl again with cold water. When the fish is defrosted, pat it dry before cooking.


Always Season a Mirepoix

There is nothing worse than bland or overcooked food. Most people assume the seasoning only happens at the end, but that is untrue. One valuable lesson I learned in professional kitchens is to add salt immediately.

When you add salt to your mirepoix (a mix of vegetables, usually onion, carrot, and celery), you help the vegetables release moisture and enhance their flavor.

So, whether or not a recipe calls for salt when sautéing vegetables, always add a pinch! Especially in this recipe because the mirepoix is the foundation of flavor for this creamy Irish Seafood Chowder.



More Irish Recipes

A spoon going into a bowl of Irish Seafood Chowder with mussels, chunks of cod and salmon, and chopped parsley on top. A blue cheesecloth napkin, sprig of thyme, and chunks of bread are surrounding the bowl of chowder.

Irish Seafood Chowder

Yield: 6 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes

Chunks of salmon, cod, smoked salmon, and mussels with hearty vegetables for the perfect creamy Irish seafood chowder.

Ingredients

  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium sweet or yellow onion, diced (about 1 cup)
  • 1 leek, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced (2 tsp)
  • 1 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 3 cups fish stock (or vegetable)
  • 1 russet potatoes or 2 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour (*see notes for gluten free)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 20 - 30 mussels, scrubbed and cleaned
  • 6 oz. smoked salmon or smoked haddock
  • 8 oz. salmon, cut into chunks
  • 8 oz. cod, cut into chunks (or other firm white fish such as sea bass, haddock, and pollock)
  • 2 bay leaf
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh tarragon, chopped
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
  • Salt
  • Pepper

Instructions

  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a large pot. Add the onion, leek, and carrots, and sauté the vegetables with a pinch of salt to help sweat them. Cook the vegetables for about 6-8 minutes until they are soft. Add the minced garlic and cook until it's aromatic, about 1 minute.
  2. Pour the white wine to deglaze the pot and cook until the wine reduces in half. Then, add fish stock and bring to a boil.
  3. Add the potatoes and cook until just tender, about 5-7 minutes.
  4. While the potatoes cook, melt two tablespoons of butter in a separate saucepan. Add two tablespoons of all-purpose flour and whisk the mixture until it's light brown. Pour the milk and continue whisking until the roux is smooth and thick. Once the potatoes are tender, add the roux to the large pot and stir to combine. *** See notes for gluten-free.
  5. Add the mussels, smoked salmon, salmon, and cod to the pot. Then pour the cream and add the bay leaves, fresh thyme, fresh tarragon, and season with salt and pepper.
  6. Simmer the Irish seafood chowder uncovered for at least 15 minutes. Discard any mussels that do not open.
  7. Ladle the chowder into bowls, sprinkle fresh parsley on top, and serve with Irish soda bread. Enjoy!

Notes

For gluten-free: mix one tablespoon of cornstarch with one tablespoon water to make a cornstarch slurry. Make sure the cornstarch is fully dissolved. Now continue with instructions in step 4. Melt the butter, add the cornstrach slurry, and whisk until it's light brown.Pour the milk and continue whisking until the cornstarch roux is smooth and thick. Add the roux to the large pot and stir to combine.

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As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, when you click on the link you will have the option to purchase a product at no extra cost to you, but I would receive a small commission. I want to thank everyone for following and supporting us on all of “Our Sweet Adventures” and for cooking with my recipes on "Christina's Culinary Creations".

Richard Grasso

Thursday 8th of February 2024

Looks really good can you make it for me?

oursweetadventures

Sunday 11th of February 2024

You bet! 😄

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