Seafood Chowder

A Modification of Ivar’s Clam Chowder Recipe

Ingredients

3 thick strips bacon, coarsely chopped

½ cup finely chopped onion (¼-inch dice)

½ cup finely chopped celery (¼-inch dice)

½ cup finely chopped potatoes (¼-inch dice)

1 (6½-ounce) can minced clams, drained

1 can lump crab meat, drained

1 fillet of cod, fried and chunked in large pieces

1 can of tiny shrimp, drained, shrimp and juice reserved

12 small shrimp, shelled and cooked

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups cream, warmed (can use half-and-half or half cream, half milk)

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

1. Cook the bacon until browned in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, until cooked, but not crispy.

2. Drain the juice from the shrimp into a separate bowl, and set the shrimp aside (you will need the shrimp juice for the next step).

3. In the same pot that you browned your bacon, stir in the onion, celery, and potato, and add the reserved juice from the shrimp. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables (as shown in picture above), set the pan over high heat, and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat to med low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are fork-tender.

4. 10 minutes into that, melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

5. Whisk in the warm cream, and continue whisking and cooking for about 5 minutes over medium low heat until the flour is cooked, and mixture is thickening and smooth (note –  you can substitute half and half or milk here, but will lose some of the richness of this recipe).

6. Once you have the cream base down, add all of the cooked vegetables AND their cooking liquids to the base.

7. Add the shrimp you set aside and simmer lightly to infuse the flavor, stirring to prevent sticking.

8. Add the rest of the seafood you chose.    

8. Lastly, season with salt, and pepper and parsley.