Seafood Chowder Recipe
This easy Seafood Chowder packs a generous amount of white fish, shellfish, and potatoes in a rich and velvety broth.
Ingredients
- 5 Slices of thick-cut bacon, thinly sliced
- 5 shallots, peeled, small-diced
- 4 ribs of celery, thickly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 cup creamy sherry
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 16 ounces clam juice
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 28- ounce San Marzano tomatoes (canned), hand crushed
- 6 Yukon gold potatoes, medium-sized, peeled, quartered, and thickly sliced
- 2 tablespoons dry sweet basil
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 12 ounces white fish, cut into small chunks, cod, halibut, etc.
- 12 ounces medium-diced calamari, tubes, tentacles, or both
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, medium diced
- 8- ounce lobster tail, medium-diced shelled, optional, replace with shrimp
- 12 ounces bay scallops, roughly chopped
- 1 pound fresh mussels
- 1 pound fresh clams
- 8- ounce chopped clams (canned)
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- ¼ cup finely minced fresh parsley
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar, optional
- Tabasco, to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large rondeau pot over low to medium heat, add in the bacon and cook just until crispy brown. Set the lardons to the side.
- In the rendered bacon fat, add in the shallots, gently season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes or until browned. Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until caramelized.
- Next, add in the celery and sweat for 6 to 7 minutes. Then stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 30 to 45 seconds.
- Deglaze with the sherry and cook until only ¼ cup remains.
- Add in the butter and cook until melted. Stir in the flour to make a roux.
- Pour in the clam juice, cooked bacon, chicken stock, potatoes, tomatoes, and basil, and cook over low to medium heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. This mixture will become thick from the roux and the potato starch. This is what you want.
- In the meantime, in a large non-stick frying pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Once it begins to lightly smoke, add the cod and calamari and sear for 2 to 3 minutes per side or until lightly browned. It’s ok if they are not completely cooked through. Set it aside on a plate.
- In the same pan with another tablespoon of olive oil over high heat, repeat the process with the shrimp, scallops, and lobster, cooking for 1 to 2 minutes per side or just until lightly browned. Set them to the side with the other cooked seafood.
- Lastly, in the same pan over high heat, add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and the mussels and clams, and sauté until they just start to open.
- At this point, the chowder should be done. Add all the cooked seafood to the pot along with the canned clams, cooked bacon, cream, parsley, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
- Mix to combine and serve.
Notes
I always say that the quickest way to ruin a perfectly creamy seafood chowder is with overcooked, rubbery seafood. My advice: cook the seafood just until it’s slightly underdone, then set it aside before folding it into the chowder at the very end. This will leave you with tender and juicy seafood.
Wait to add the cream: High heat can cause heavy cream to separate, so I always add it in at the very end over low heat to keep the chowder base silky.
Adjust the thickness: The roux and potatoes should naturally thicken the soup. If it becomes too thick, stir in a splash of stock, water, or clam juice.
Avoid over-salting: Seafood is already naturally seasoned by the sea, so I like to add salt in stages—a little with the aromatics, then again at the end after tasting. That way, every bite ends up perfectly seasoned without going overboard.
Add vegetables: I kept this recipe classic with aromatics and potatoes, but feel free to add diced carrots, red bell peppers, leeks, cauliflower florets, or corn for extra color, flavor, and texture.
Make-Ahead: You can make the chowder base a few days in advance. Then, fold in the cooked seafood right before serving.
How to Store: Store leftover chowder in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.
How to Reheat: Reheat the leftovers in a small pot over low heat. Be careful not to boil the chowder, as this can make the seafood tough.
Nutrition
Calories: 733kcalCarbohydrates: 49gProtein: 46gFat: 38gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 4gMonounsaturated Fat: 14gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 291mgSodium: 962mgPotassium: 1582mgFiber: 5gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 1278IUVitamin C: 41mgCalcium: 161mgIron: 5mg