Irish fish chowder with soda bread recipe

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This warming Irish fish chowder is full of flavour and goes well with our soda bread, which is so easy to make.

irish fish chowder with soda bread
Serves4–4
SkillEasy
Preparation Time30 mins
Cooking Time45 mins
Total Time1 hours 15 mins
Cost RangeMid
Nutrition Per PortionRDA
Calories612 Kcal31%
Fat19 g27%
Saturated Fat8 g40%
Carbohydrates65 g25%

This warming Irish fish chowder is full of flavour and goes well with our soda bread, which is so easy to make.

This is an incredibly easy dish to make but so rewarding and a real comfort food. We have used smoked haddock, salmon fillet and king prawns but if you are on a budget or finding the fish difficult to get hold of then you can use any white fish (we recommend that it has been sustainably sourced).

Soda bread is one of the easiest breads to make and doesn’t require any yeast. If you can’t get hold of any buttermilk you can put a tbsp. of lemon juice (about half a lemon, squeezed) in to 200ml of milk and it will sour slightly.

Looking for how to make your own bread? Try out our recipe for sourdough bread for something a little different.

Ingredients

For the soda bread:

  • 250g wholemeal plain flour
  • 30g rolled oats (optional)
  • 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 200ml buttermilk
  • 11⁄2tsp honey
  • 1-2tsp milk (optional)

For the fish chowder:

  • 100g potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
  • 175g smoked haddock
  • 175g salmon fillet
  • 450ml milk
  • 30g butter
  • 1 leek, halved and finely sliced
  • 2 carrots, halved lengthways and finely sliced
  • 150g raw king prawns, de-headed and peeled

WEIGHT CONVERTER

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Method

  1. Heat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. For the soda bread, put the flour, rolled oats, the bicarb and 1tsp salt into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the buttermilk and honey. Mix until all combined. If it seems too dry, you can add 1-2tsp milk. Tip out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly. Form into a ball-like shape, place on a floured baking tray and bake for 25-30 mins until cooked. Test by tapping the bottom – it should sound hollow.
  2. Meanwhile, make the chowder: bring a pan of water to the boil, put the potatoes in and boil for 10 mins or until cooked. Drain and leave to one side.
  3. In a separate pan, place the fish in the milk. Bring to the boil and turn down to a low simmer. Poach the fish until it is just cooked. Drain the fish, reserving the milk for later.
  4. In a frying pan, melt the butter and fry the leek for 2 mins before adding the carrots and cooking both until softened. Add the cooked potato and break up with the back of a wooden spoon. Pour in the poaching milk and cook gently for 10 mins.
  5. Flake in the cooked fish and add the prawns. Cook gently for a few mins until the prawns are cooked through. Serve with the soda bread and some butter.
Top Tip for making Irish fish chowder with soda bread

Although we think soda bread works best, other breads like sourdough will be equally as tasty

Samuel Goldsmith
Freelance food writer

Former Assistant Headteacher, Samuel has a BSc in Food from the University of Birmingham and is also Co-Vice Chair of the Guild of Food Writers and a Trustee of 91 Ways CIC. His work has featured in national and international publications including Waitrose Food, Australian Delicious, and the LAD Bible Group. Samuel has also consulted on a number of best-selling food and drink books, and was a nutritional consultant for BBC’s Eat Well for Less.