Wild Nettle & Smoked Haddock Chowder 

Fri, 17 April 2026

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 100g smoked bacon lardons
• 1 fennel bulb, finely diced (fronds reserved for garnish)
• 1 leek, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 300g Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and diced 1cm
• 800ml good chicken or light fish stock
• 200g fresh young nettle tops (top 4 leaves only — gloves on!)
• 100g fresh spinach
• 75ml dry Irish cider
• 400g undyed smoked haddock fillet, skin removed, cut into chunks
• 50g cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 50ml double cream
• ½ lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp good quality olive oil, to finish
• Sea salt and black pepper

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the bacon lardons and cook until golden and crispy. Remove a good handful with a slotted spoon and set aside on kitchen paper — this is your garnish. Leave the remaining bacon and all that beautiful fat in the pot.

Add the fennel, leek, garlic and fennel seeds to the pot. Season with salt and pepper and sweat gently for 10–12 minutes until completely soft and fragrant. Pour in the cider and let it bubble for a minute, scraping up any bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the diced potato and stir well to coat in the base. Pour in the stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 15 minutes until the potatoes are completely soft.

Wearing rubber gloves, pick only the top 4 leaves of each nettle stem — the young tender tips. Add to the simmering pot in batches, stirring as you go. The sting disappears the moment they hit the heat. Simmer for 2 minutes only to keep that colour vibrant.

Remove the pot from the heat. Add the fresh spinach — this is the chef's secret to keeping the colour green. Using a stick blender, blitz until completely smooth , Taste, adjust seasoning and return to a gentle heat.

Gently lay the smoked haddock pieces into the warm green chowder base. Poach over a low heat for 2–3 minutes until just cooked through. Using a spoon, gently flake the haddock through the chowder into generous chunks — it should fall apart beautifully.

Stir in the cold butter cube by cube until the chowder is glossy and rich. Add the cream and a squeeze of lemon. Taste and season generously. The chowder should be silky, vivid green and deeply savoury.

Ladle into warm bowls, making sure each portion has generous flakes of haddock. Scatter the reserved crispy bacon over the top. Add a few fennel fronds. Finish with a generous drizzle of olive oil and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.