Lobster and scallops were once seen as extravagant delicacies, reserved for eating at restaurants. However, prices have dropped significantly in the past year and shellfish is now more accessible. A hearty chowder is a great way to feed a group without spending a fortune.
Building Flavour
The key to good chowder is to build the layers of flavour so it’s more than just a bowl of milk and fish. Adding components that complement the seafood such as sherry, tomato, bacon and herbs boost the flavour and bring out the best in the shellfish. Flour and potato help to thicken the chowder without cream (although a splash of cream would also be a delicious addition!)
Size Counts
Scallops and shrimp cook very quickly so it’s not necessary to par-cook them – they will cook thoroughly with a gentle simmer in the broth. Select fairly large shellfish. A good fishmonger will label them with a ‘count’, which is the number of pieces in one pound of the fish. For example, 20-25 count shrimp will have between 20 and 25 of the crustaceans in one pound. The smaller the count is, the larger the shrimp.
Seafood Chowder
Makes 4 to 6 main course servings
- 1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into ½” cubes
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 4 rashers raw bacon, diced
- ½ cup diced red pepper
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 1 stalk celery, diced
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme or 1-1/2 teaspoons dried
- 1 Tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoons dry sherry
- 3 Tablespoons flour
- 4 cups whole milk
- 8 medium shrimp (20-25 count), deveined and shelled with tails removed
- 10 large scallops (10-20 count) cut in half
- 1 cup cooked lobster meat (preferably a mix of tail and claw meat)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions:
- In a medium saucepan with a lid, heat chicken stock until boiling. Add potato cubes and cook until tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the cooked potato cubes but save the cooking liquid. Set aside.
- In a stockpot or enameled cast iron pot, cook bacon on medium-high heat until crisp, about 7 minutes. Remove bacon bits with a slotted spoon and set them aside but keep the rendered bacon fat in the bottom of the pot.
- Add diced red pepper, onion, celery carrot and garlic to the pot. Sauté vegetables in the bacon fat until they are beginning to soften, about 5 minutes.
- Add thyme, sherry and tomato paste to the vegetable mixture. Stir so the tomato paste gets thoroughly incorporated.
- Stir the flour into the mixture. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add reserved stock that was used to cook the potato. Stir until the mixture is smooth with no floury lumps.
- Pour in 1 cup of milk. Stir soup and bring milk to a very gentle simmer but do not boil. Add another cup of the milk. Continue slowly adding the milk one cup at a time.
- While the soup is gently simmering, return the potatoes and bacon to the pot. Add the scallops, shrimp and lobster. Simmer the soup for about 15 minutes until it is fully heated through and the raw seafood has cooked.
- Season chowder with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread or hot biscuits.
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