
Coconut Seafood Chowder
By OcadoLife
Published on 13 February 2025
“I have many memories of going to my local in Dublin and ordering a bowl of chowder. It’s one of my favourite things to eat,” says Richie Castillo – Dublin-based chef
of Filipino pop-up restaurant Bahay. “My Coconut Seafood Chowder uses coconut milk in place of cream for richness without overpowering the dish, while ginger, chilli and fish sauce give it depth and heat, plus lime leaves for a fresh, citrussy note. It’s my perfect Irish-Filipino fusion food. You can mix and match the seafood – or simply use the whole 1kg pack of mussels and leave out the prawns and fish. Frozen mussels work well too.”
Time and servings
35 minsTotal time
6Servings
10 minsPrep time
25 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 1 medium carrot, diced
- 5 cm piece piece of ginger, grated
- 1 garlic clove, crushed or grated
- 1 birdseye chilli, finely sliced (optional)
- 450ml fish stock
- 1 medium white potato, diced
- 2 dried lime leaves
- 1 (400ml) tin coconut milk
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 0.5 x 1kg pack Loch Fyne Fresh Mussels, cleaned and debearded
- 300g raw king prawns
- 150g smoked mackerel, flaked
- 1 lime, ½ juiced, plus extra cheeks or wedges for squeezing (optional)
- 1 handful coriander, roughly torn (optional)
- 6 tsp chilli oil, for drizzling (optional)
- 1 loaf crusty bread, to serve (optional)
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, ginger and a pinch of salt; cook for 5 mins.Step 2
Add the garlic and chilli (if using), cook for 2-3 mins, then pour in the fish stock and bring to the boil. Add the potato, lime leaves and coconut milk; continue to cook over a medium-high heat for 10 mins, until the potatoes have softened.Step 3
Reduce the heat to low and add the soy sauce and fish sauce with another pinch of salt and a very generous grinding of black pepper.Step 4
Add the mussels and prawns; cook for 4 mins or until all the mussel shells have opened. Discard any that don’t.Step 5
Flake in the mackerel, then stir in the lime juice. Taste and adjust the seasoning to your taste if you feel it needs more salt or pepperStep 6
Ladle the chowder into bowls, making sure everyone gets a bit of everything. Serve scattered with coriander and drizzled with chilli oil, with lime cheeks and crusty bread for mopping it all up, if liked.