A sophisticated & rich shellfish soup which makes a great starter. This can be made with prawns, shrimp or langoustines. Be sure to pass the soup through a very fine sieve before serving.
500g prawns, whole
3 tbsp butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 large carrot, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, finely chopped, fronds reserved
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
100ml dry white wine
50ml brandy
2 tbsp tomato puree
1 litre of fish stock
100ml single cream
Brown bread with butter, to serve
De-shell (bash shells) the prawns and save in a bowl in the fridge.
Large sauté pan
Blender
Sieve
Frying pan
My home town of Howth is famous throughout Ireland for its fish. Along the west pier there are plenty of fishmongers to choose some of the freshest fish for supper. This wonderfully creamy seafood chowder always reminds me of home and with a few slices of brown bread with Irish salted butter, I’m there in an instant. This recipe is from my cookbook HomeCooked.