A GOOD Irish fish chowder will traditionally contain a mix of smoked and unsmoked fish alongside large chunks of locally grown vegetables.
Often seen as a hearty thick soup, but a soup it's not.
The Irish chowder is enriched with cream, white wine and built on a base of flavours.
In Ireland there are plenty of variations and local specialities, often distinguished by the availability of seasonal local produce along with the fisherman's ‘catch of the day’.
The Irish Post has teamed up with Belleek Pottery based in Co. Fermanagh and Daniel O'Neill's specialist cookware provider ProCook to test recipes from some of Irelands most influential chefs.
With readily available ingredients, the simple dishes re-created are aimed at the beginner through to the more established home chef while giving the flexibility to alter the ingredients to suit your own pallet.
Along with the ingredients and method, we will be showing you how we got on with the recipe and providing a list of the equipment used.
Clodagh McKenna's Irish Pub Chowder takes Ireland’s abundance of smoked fish and puts it at the centre of the dish.
Built on a base of readily available vegetables, the simple one-pot chowder has layers of flavours that provides a family dish that fits the category of comfort food perfectly.
Starting with the chowder base, finely chopped garlic, onion, celery, leeks and diced potatoes are slowly cooked to fuse the flavours before white wine is added.
Once the wine is reduced the flavours are built up with fish stock and milk and then corn kernels and fresh single cream.
Seasoned with salt and freshly ground pepper the dish is completed with the addition of some finely chopped fresh dill.
Once you have mastered this dish, the variations are almost limitless and will allow you to experiment with unsmoked haddock and bacon, salmon, mussels and prawns.
McKenna is an Irish born chef, an Evening Standard columnist, award-winning author and TV personality.
A regular on ITV's Good Morning, she began her food career in Ireland, where she trained and worked at the Ballymaloe School and House in county Cork.
She went on to develop farmers markets in and around Ireland that also became the outlet for her own food range.
Following a time in Italy, McKenna returned to Ireland where she ran two restaurants in Dublin and Blackrock.
Currently living in England, with her partner Harry Herbert, they share Broadspeare House in Hampshire.
Their 300-year-old cottage is set within the grounds of Highclere Park, the home to Highclere Castle, and location best known as the set for the period drama Downton Abbey.
For more hints, tips and recipes you can follow Clodagh McKenna on Instagram at @clodagh_mckenna.
Irish chef Clodagh McKennaClodagh McKenna's Irish Pub Chowder
The dish is presented using Belleek Pottery's Claddagh Handled Soup Bowl placed on a Claddagh Dinner Plate and Claddagh Accent Plate. Belleek Living Occasions Cutlery Set
For this recipe we used the following equipment from ProCook:
End Grain Chopping Board
13cm Utility Knife from the ProCook Damascus 67 Knife set
28cm Sauté Pan with lid from the ProCook Professional Ceramic Range
DesignPro Silicone Spatula
A work in progress (PICS: Chris Egan)Ingredients (serves 4-6)
50g butter300g potatoes, peeled and diced
1 onion, finely diced
1 leek, finely sliced
2 stalks of celery, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100ml dry white wine
500ml fish stock
300ml milk
1kg un-dyed smoked haddock, skin removed and cut into small chunks
1 corn on the cob
250ml single cream
2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Place a medium sized saucepan over a medium heat and melt the butter. Stir in the potato, onion, leek, celery and garlic. Reduce the heat, cover and leave to sweat for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine. Return the pan to the heat and cook for a further 3–4 minutes.
- Pour in the stock and milk, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Run a sharp knife down the sides of the corn to remove the kernels and add them to the saucepan then stir in the haddock and continue to cook for five minutes.
- Add the cream, fresh dill and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for a further five minutes.
- Serve warm with some freshly made soda bread or toast.
All of the products used in making and presenting the meal can be found at www.belleek.com and www.procook.co.uk
