Tuesday, December 3, 2013

.seafood chowder.

 
 
 
Fall is my favorite time of year.  Love the colors, love the weather and I love making soups and stews.  Nothing speaks to me of comfort more than a hearty bowl of something warm.  A few years ago I had some seafood that needed using up from a low country boil dinner we had and I thought it would work really well in soup form.  It sure didn't disappoint!  I don't make this very often because it can be expensive to make, but I had this stuff on hand to make this week.  Feel free to use whatever kind of seafood you want!  Love the flexibility of this recipe.
 
 
2 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
5 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup frozen corn
4 cups chicken broth (or if you shell the crab and shrimp yourself, you can use the shells to make seafood stock)
2 cups milk
1/2 cup flour
Old Bay seasoning
salt and pepper
Seafood of your choice:  I used crab, shrimp, clams, and smoked salmon
 
In a large soup pot, heat a little oil over medium to medium high heat.  Add the potatoes, onion, garlic, and celery.  Cook until the potatoes start getting glossy around the edges.  Add the broth and let this come to a simmer.  While that simmers, mix together the flour and milk, whisking to remove lumps - strain, if necessary.  When the potatoes are fork tender, add the flour/milk mixture and bring to a boil.  If it's not thick enough, add a little more milk/flour until you get the consistency you want.  Season with salt, pepper, and Old Bay.  At the very end, add your seafood and corn.  Taste and re-season if needed.
 
Serve with fresh dinner rolls and a salad!