Arthurstown Fish Chowder

By Chef Kevin Dundon

Ingredients:

• 55 g (4 tbsp) butter
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 leek, trimmed and diced
• 1 small carrot, diced
• 1 potato, cubed
• 55 g smoked salmon slices, cut into julienne about 5mm thick
• 125 ml dry white wine
• 425 ml fish stock or water
• 280 g mixed fresh fish fillets (such as cod, haddock, hake and salmon), skinned and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 12 raw dublin bay prawns (langoustines) or large tiger prawns (jumbo shrimp), peeled and deveined
• 140 g (5oz) mussels, scrubbed
• 1 tblsp chopped tarragon
• 200 ml pouring (light) cream
• salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the butter and, once it is foaming, tip in the onion, leek, carrot, potato and smoked salmon. Saute for 2–3 minutes until softened.
2. Pour the wine into the pan and allow the liquid to reduce by half.
3. Add the fish stock or water and bring to a simmer, then add the fresh fish and shellfish.
4. Reduce the heat and return the pan to a simmer. Add the tarragon and cream, then season with salt and black pepper to taste. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for a further 2–3 minutes until the fish and prawns are tender and all of the mussels have opened (discard any mussels that do not).
5. To serve, ladle the chowder into warmed serving bowls, piling plenty of the fish and shellfish into the centre of each bowl. Serve with chunks of crusty bread.