Seafood Chowder
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 celery stalk, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp. old bay seasoning
- 1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more
- 1 tbsp. dry sherry or mirin
- 600 ml clam juice, divided
- 480 ml fish or seafood stock or broth
- 1 lb. potatoes (any kind), peeled,cut into ½" pieces
- 1¼ lb. mixed white fish (such as swordfish and/or sea bass) and shellfish (such as peeled, deveined shrimp), cut into ½" pieces
- 8 oz. cooked lobster meat, cut into cubes (optional)
- 1 tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 120 ml half-and-half
Instructions
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Melt 1 Tbsp. butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat.
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Cook onion and celery, stirring often, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Mix in Old Bay and 1 tsp. pepper; cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add sherry; cook, stirring occasionally, until alcohol has cooked off, about 1 minute.
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Add 120 ml clam juice; bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very soft, about 5 minutes.
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Add stock and remaining 480 ml clam juice and bring to a boil.
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Add potatoes and simmer, uncovered, adjusting heat as needed, until just tender, about 5 minutes. Add fish and shellfish and cook, stirring gently, just until mixture returns to a simmer, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lobster meat if using.
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While the potatoes are simmering, melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook, whisking constantly, until light blond in colour, about 1 minute.
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Whisk in half-and-half and 240 ml chowder broth (skimmed off the top) and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly. Cook, still whisking, until thickened and creamy.
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Stir half-and-half mixture into chowder; return to medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring gently.
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Remove from heat; season with salt and more pepper. Ladle into bowls and serve with oyster crackers.
Notes
Tips for perfect seafood chowder
How can I adapt this for someone with a shellfish allergy?
Swap in homemade fish stock or mild vegetable stock for the clam juice. The chowder will still be flavorful and maintain its comforting body. If your guests can eat squid or cuttlefish, use those instead of shellfish. Otherwise, increase the amount of white fish and be sure to use a variety (cod, halibut, monkfish, sea bass, swordfish) for extra texture.
How do I avoid overcooking seafood? Add fish and shellfish last and stir gently; they only need a few minutes to heat through. Overcooked seafood can become rubbery.
Why is my chowder salty? Clam juice and store-bought stock can be quite high in sodium, so be judicious with any added salt. Taste the broth after incorporating the roux and adjust as needed.
Why did my broth split? Avoid a rapid boil after adding the roux mixture. You want to simmer the broth briefly to cook off the floury taste, but a hard boil can cause the dairy to break down and toughen the fish.
Imported from Mela.
