The Chowder Odyssey
Irish seafood chowder is a dish that is both made on command, and by command.
The kitchen only finishes the dish when it is ordered by a customer, and they finish it according to a set of well-understood rules.
Those rules prescribe that the dish is made up of the sweated mirepoix of vegetables, a selection of fresh fish, smoked fish and shellfish, mixed with fish stock, then finished with fresh cream.
That's the theory. The reality is that all seven of the finalists in the 2024 SOUPerb Awards offered seafood chowders that were wildly different, one from the other. No two were the same. These chowders had been separated at birth, and set free to mark their own course.
Rules, it would seem, are made to be broken. At least when it comes to seafood chowder. The dish insists that it’s a commandment. Turns out it’s a tabula rasa.
That’s the good thing about a chowder odyssey: travel the country eating big bowls of seafood goodness, and you get to see just how far chefs can interpret their cuisine and their culture.
Some enterprising tour operator will soon begin offering Irish Seafood Chowder Tours. We talk about Eating the Landscape. Chowder, it turns out, is the way in which you Eat the Seascape.
The best reason for a guided Chowder Odyssey, however, is the fact that it’s a blast. The place. The taste. That moment in time. Floating in the bliss of the Blue Mind.
Chowder voyagers need only enjoy their seafood soups. If you are judging for the Cully & Sully SOUPerb chowder awards, however, the moment comes when you must put the spoon down and decide amongst the competing opinions as to who the winner is.
After the ecstasy, the agony of choice.
These are the Seven Chowders we judged for The SOUPerb Awards. Our travelling companions for these Chowder Chronicles were Cullen Allen (Cully of Cully & Sully) and Cully & Sully Development Chef, Ivan Whelan. Every bowl deserved to win. We also travelled with photo and videographer Joleen Cronin, and these are her wonderful photos. Thank you also to everyone who voted and entered. The response was phenomenal. Do take a moment to watch her videos of our Chowder Odessy on Instagram for Cully & Sully.
Anderson’s Boathouse – SOUPerb Sense of Place
Anderson’s Boathouse Restaurant served a bowl of Donegal goodness, garnished with Mulroy Mussels and using North Atlantic Fish. Garry Anderson is an articulate spokesman for the industry, and this chowder exhibited a great sense of the place that is the Killybegs fishing metropolis and the people who live, work and eat there.
Coyne’s Gastro Pub – SOUPerb Hidden Gem
Coyne’s Gastro Pub is the focus of the Gaeltacht village of Cill Chiaráin, overlooking south Connemara’s island landscape and overlooked by Connemara’s Twelve Bens. The area is known as a centre for seaweed harvesting and for racing the Galway Hooker boats and, in this maritime haven on the edge of Europe, Micheal’s iconic pub serves to make Annemarie’s seafood chowder into an archetypal experience.
The Kings Head – SOUPerb for Sustainability
The Kings Head served a terrific bowl of chowder, utilising the extra cuts from their prime fish plates, an impressive “whole catch” approach to cooking that is a shining example of sustainability. Every bite of this chowder was fresh and exciting, and the kitchen made superb use of Goatsbridge Trout to garnish the bowl, with some wonderful home-made brown bread. Part of the fabric of the city.
Carrygerry House Hotel – SOUPerbly Luxurious
Carrygerry Country House is a charming country house hotel, with a huge fan base for its elegant chowder. Using 50% cream and a perfect stock and mirepoix base, this chowder was meticulously prepared and served with shelled mussels, and a plate of home-made breads, including their famous mature cheddar scones. Niall and Gillian are doing fantastic work here, on the fringes of Shannon town.
Dromquinna Manor Boathouse – SOUPerb Atmosphere
The Boathouse at Dromquinna Manor is the most spectacular location in which to enjoy a bowl of chowder, right at the edge of Kenmare Bay. This was a beautifully presented bowl – as handsome as the room itself – topped with a cluster of pea shoots and served with fine brown bread and a pat of real butter. A special treat on a good day, when you can eat directly overlooking the pier.
Trawler Boyz – SOUPerb with a pint
Trawler Boyz run a funky food truck in the back of the Blackbird Pub in Ballycotton. Their chowder was a visual feast that utilised great fish, thanks to the many contacts of this fishing family. A fantastic bowl of smoky chowder, that both looked and tasted spectacular, served in a winningly informal style at the back of the pub.
The La-La Balbriggan – SOUPerb Innovation
The La-La Balbriggan’s chowder was dynamically served with a crunchy white croute and some home-made brown bread. This was an innovative recipe, utilising both sweet corn and sweet pepper, and with the very special touch of their own house-smoked fish, smoked in the garden using wood from their own trees. A fabulous destination to showcase East Coast fish.
And The Winner Is…
There can only be one overall winner and, after an aeon of deliberation, the judges decided that the winner of the first SOUPerb Award for seafood chowder is The La La, Balbriggan, County Dublin.
A lot of chowders have far too much cream in the winner sounds like a good mix of ingredients
I love chowder more than is sensible and I shall use this to guide me when next in Ireland - thank you