Galway Seafood Chowder

Chowder

As with a great many traditional foods it is likely that chowder takes its name from the iron cooking pot in which it is traditionally cooked a Chaudière. Although the actual name chowder was first used in North America, specifically Canada in the 1730’s.The term Chowder would not be specific to a single soup but rather a number of interpretations of chowder exist ranging from rich creamy recipes through to light broth like soups often thickened with water biscuits, although all interpretations would indicate a hearty and very satisfying soup. The use of salt pork in seafood chowder is essential according to many traditionalists and will add a superb extra layer of flavour as will the use of potato. Clam chowder is possibly the most well known form of the soup and although very simple to make is one of the world’s great soups. Indeed the line between when chowder becomes a stew is often very thin indeed which makes chowder a great choice for a mid day meal on a sunny summers day. Experimentation is the order of the day when it comes to making chowder with the use of different fish and shellfish making the soup both fun to make and better to eat, although the recipe I have included may not be a chowder in the most traditional sense it will yield a hearty soup and will work a treat as a light meal or as a first course to a more substantial dinner.

Serves 4

50 gram onion
25 gram carrot --------------------chopped into a small dice
50 gram leek

25 gram butter
20 gram flour
700 ml fish stock
150 gram potato peeled and chopped into a small dice
30 gram streaky bacon chopped into small pieces
50 ml cream
10 gram flat leaf parsley
200 grams mixed fish and shellfish prepared and chopped into a medium dice, keep prawns whole

1. Add the bacon to a thick based pot and cook lightly, add the onion, carrot leek and butter and cook without colour.
2. Add the flour and allow to form into a roux then slowly add the fish stock insure that the flour is not allowed to clump and form lumps.
3. Add the potato and allow simmer for about 10 minutes then add the fish and simmer until the fish and potato are cooked.
4. Finish with cream and flat leaf parsley, season and serve.



By Michael O’Meara
Chef at Oscars bistro Galway city www.oscarsbistro.ie