My son moved to Ireland in September 2020, and we were fortunate enough to visit him in July of 2021. We absolutely fell in love with the Emerald Isle. We were there for three weeks, staying for a few days with Brian and his family and then venturing out on our own for a few days exploring beautiful Ireland. It was perfect—we got a taste of local life as well as time as tourists.
I always thought of Ireland as a meat and potatoes country, mainly because of what I knew about their traditional dishes—colcannon mash and stew, corned beef and cabbage, Irish stew, and Shepherd’s pie. I was pleasantly surprised at the diversity, quality, and variety of foods. Since Ireland is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Celtic and Irish Seas, seafood is abundant. Almost every restaurant we patronized had seafood chowder on the menu, which contained an assortment of white fish, salmon, scallops, and shrimp.
My husband loved the seafood chowder he ate in Ireland so much that he asked me to make it when we returned to the States. Following is my re-creation of Salmon Chowder we ate at a quaint, Irish restaurant. It is the perfect meal for cold, chilly evenings. I love making this soup when the weather turns frigid.
Salmon Chowder
Serves 4
Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.
½ pound red potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
½ pound sliced bacon, cut crosswise into ½-inch wide strips (about 6 slices)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced thin (about 2 carrots)
1 cup green onions, sliced thin (about 1 bunch)
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3 cups milk
¾ cup heavy cream
1 ½ pounds salmon fillet, skin discarded and cut into 1-inch pieces
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Fresh minced parsley for garnish
In a large saucepan, place potatoes with just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer gently until pieces are tender yet remain firm when pierced with a fork, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and set aside.
In a 5-quart heavy kettle, place bacon over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of bacon drippings from the kettle.
Add corn and carrots to the kettle and sauté until carrots are tender, about 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Reduce the heat to low. Add green onions, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, and red pepper flakes and sauté until green onions are tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add milk and heavy cream and bring just to a boil.
Reduce the heat to medium low, add potatoes, salmon, bacon, salt, and pepper and cook, gently stirring occasionally, until salmon is cooked through and begins to break up as you stir, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Add lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove bay leaf before serving.
To serve: Ladle chowder into bowls and garnish with parsley.
Tips on selecting salmon: When you are standing in front of the fish counter at your supermarket, do you ever wondered, “Which variety of salmon should I purchase?” It can be quite puzzling. What exactly is the difference between wild and farm-raised salmon and Pacific and Atlantic salmon?
Wild salmon is caught in its natural environment like oceans, rivers, or lakes and eats a diet consistent with its surroundings. Farm-raised salmon is farmed using a process called aquaculture, where the fish are given a processed feed that is high in fat and protein designed to make them grow larger.
There are five types of Pacific salmon:
Salmon connoisseurs agree that wild salmon is the most flavorful; nutritionists find it contains more minerals than farm-raised fish and is a good source of Omega-3’s, and food purists believe it contains the least contaminants. It is also pricier than Atlantic salmon. The five varieties are: King or Chinook (Copper River), Sockeye or Red, Coho or Silver, Pink or Humpback, Chum or Silverbrite (Keta or Doe). If the price per pound doesn’t break your pocketbook, purchase a variety of Pacific salmon.
Atlantic Salmon
Atlantic salmon is normally the most reasonably priced. While there are salmon lovers who prefer the taste of Atlantic salmon, its price point is its strongest suit. Nutritionists find that farm-raised salmon is higher in vitamin C, saturated fat, and calories than wild salmon. Both are excellent sources of Omega 3’s. Atlantic salmon has a milder flavor than Pacific salmon and is often larger in size because of the diet it is fed.
There are very few wild Atlantic salmon in existence today—it is all farm-raised. Dams in the Northeast United Stated have prohibited salmon from swimming upriver and spawning. While there are a few Atlantic fish farms in the United States, most of our Atlantic salmon is imported from Canada, South America (primarily Chile), or Europe (primarily Norway). Norwegian salmon are raised in a natural habitat, unlike Chilean salmon where fish are raised in cramped pools. Also, Norway is committed to stricter regulations. Your supermarket is required by law to label fish according to its Country of Origin.
While fish farming has improved over the years with more fisheries feeding their fish plant-based food better formulated for good health, if I am buying Atlantic salmon, I prefer Norwegian. If the Norwegian salmon is too expensive, purchase salmon that is farmed in the US.
Carol Ann
Carol Ann Kates is the award-winning author of cookbook, Secret Recipes from the Corner Market, and international Amazon best-selling and award-winning author of Grocery Shopping Secrets. She’s an expert in how to shop, select, and store produce for maximizing home cooking outcomes and minimizing time and money spent. As a former supermarket and deli operator, Carol Ann shares grocery-insider wisdom—the same expertise you used to receive when patronizing a mom-and-pop establishment. Contact her at CarolAnn@CarolAnnKates.com and explore her website, www.CarolAnnKates.com.
Copyright 2025 All Rights Reserved Carol Ann Kates
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