Culinary Heritage

Dromoland Castle's Seafood Chowder

This signature seafood chowder is made with the freshest ingredients sourced locally. Specifically, the fish and shellfish all come from either Garrihy Sea Foods in Doolin or from Star Sea Foods in Kenmare.

St. Patrick’s Day, the classic Irish holiday celebrated all around the world, brings people together for a day of festivities and eating delicious food. At Dromoland Castle, the celebration extends by honoring local Irish suppliers to create signature Dromoland dishes for the occasion. Working with the best Irish ingredients, a Dromoland Castle specialty is the “Seafood Chowder” that uses the finest local produce and dairy such as leeks, cream and authentic Irish butter to create a comforting and warm dish. The seafood used in the chowder are cod, salmon, monkfish, or halibut as it varies by the season. The dish also features mussels as an added surprise as well as scallops. Simmered to perfection, the Dromoland Castle Seafood Chowder is a local Irish specialty during the holiday and served year round for guests to enjoy. 

Dromoland's Seafood Chowder
Yields 4 portions

Ingredients:

• 1/2 can of leek and potato soup*
• 150g raw fish (cod, salmon, monkfish, halibut)
• 4 scallops
• 8 prawns (cooked)
• 80g mussels (cooked)
• 1tsp chopped parsley
• 1tsp chopped chives
• 100mls white wine
• 100mls cream
• 50g butter
• Squeeze of lemon

Directions:

1. Bring the leek and potato soup to the boil, check the seasoning. The soup should be of a thick consistency.
2. Place the wine and butter in a medium sized pot, bring to the boil and reduce by half, add the cream and return to the boil.
3. Add the raw fish and simmer for 30 seconds, next add the cooked fish and scallops and warm through.
4. Add the fish and shellfish mixture to the leek and potato soup, stir gently. Finish with the herbs and lemon juice, check the seasoning before serving.

*If using a 14oz can of potato and leek soup, cut it down to 7 oz or 1 cup.

Dromoland Castle's Homemade Brown Bread

This signature brown bread is a beloved breakfast staple at Dromoland Castle Hotel. Spread some locally produced Irish butter for a true culinary heritage experience.

Notes from the chef at Dromoland Castle Hotel: "This is a lovely brown bread, kind of sweet too. It’s a wet mixture so no need for any mess with kneading. It is really easy to make, it only takes about 10 minutes. I believe the key to it is not to keep on stirring the mixture, once it is all mixed together, leave it alone!"

Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients:

• 300g wholemeal flour
• 40g plain white flour
• 20g wheat bran
• 20g brown sugar
• 1 heaped (sieved) teaspoon Bread Soda
• Pinch of salt
• 40mls sunflower oil or olive oil (Flora)
• 1 egg
• 500mls buttermilk (soured)

Directions:

1. Mix all dry ingredients together.
2. Make a well in the centre of the mixture and add your wet ingredients (milk, oil, egg.)
3. Mix well but do not over-mix either: once all the ingredients are combined leave it alone!
4. Pour into a well greased loaf tin.
5. Cook at 200C for 1hr 5mins.
6. Turn out on a rack and leave to cool.