West Cork Seafood Chowder

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 large onions, roughly diced
• 2 large carrots, finely chopped or grated
• 2 stalk(s) celery
• 1 bunch dill, fresh
• 2 ½ kg potatoes, floury
• 400 g mixed fish fillet(s) (salmon, cod and smoked haddock) in 1 cm cubes
• 150 g crabs, fresh
• 150 g mussels (can be from a can)
• 2 cloves garlic
• some butter
• 1 handful of parsley, chopped
• 750 ml milk
• 100 ml cream
• 2 vegetable stock cubes
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Southern Irish fish soup

First, dice the onions, chop the carrots, celery, and garlic, and set everything aside. Peel and dice the potatoes (they cook faster). If using fresh mussels, it’s best to boil them first in a broth and set them aside. You can also boil them in the soup with the crab or use canned mussels. I recommend using fresh ones! Boil ⅓ of the potatoes in a saucepan for 15-20 minutes, or until tender, drain, and set them aside. These will be used to thicken the soup. Heat milk in a saucepan over moderate heat and bring to a boil. Simmer the remaining potatoes for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, salmon, and white fish, and cook for another 3 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a pan over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic until softened but not browned. Set aside. Add about 6 tablespoons of the heated milk to the reserved cooked potatoes. Add the sea salt and mix everything with the vegetable stock, blending with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. Add this to the pot and stir gently to thicken the soup. Add the shrimp, mussels, onion, and garlic to the soup and season to taste, adding the dill and parsley. Gradually add the herbs until fragrant. Let everything simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat. Gently stir in the cream and cook for 1 minute. Tip: You can also add a little white wine if you have any left over after cooking.