Last Thursday was Halloween. Every year, we usually throw a party and invite some of our neighbors and close friends. My mom and I take on the role of whipping up dinner and appetizers on the stove while my dad works his magic on the grill, crisping up his infamous chicken wings. When everyone comes over, we eat and wait for the little princesses and superheros to come scampering up the drive way, eager to receive their treats of succulent candy. This Halloween was the first time without my father, so my mom was skeptical to whether or not she wanted to throw anything. After a few words of encouragement, we decided to keep the tradition alive.
So now it was time for me to chose what I wanted to make. For the past 2 years, I've made a chowder for our family friend's annual Chowder Fest. It's always been a huge hit and has kind of become my staple, so my mom suggested that I make it. It's a simple recipe that just calls for love and a little patience. If you set some time aside, I promise you, people will be talking about you and your amazing soup for days.
Now, my recipe is doubled to make a larger batch, so don't be alarmed at the amount of ingredients. It's just as easy to prepare this recipe for a small group of people as well and it's also just as delicious.
Here is my recipe for my Spicy Shrimp and Corn Chowder:
First, I defrost my 1 pound bag of shrimp. You may also purchase fresh shrimp and peel and devein them yourself, but I just find frozen shrimp to be easier to prepare and much more cost effective. I just put them in a colander, run them under cold water and let them drain.
Secondly, I gather all of my vegetables to prepare my mise en place. I finely chop 2 medium Vidalia onions, careful not to mince them because you do want to taste those bits of sweetness. (You may also use yellow if you can't find Vidalia). Next I chop 2 medium red bell peppers, I finely dice 2 small jalapenos (ribs and seeds removed), and finish by mincing 6 small cloves of organic garlic. The colorful vegetables easily portray how beautiful the final product will be.
Next, I gather and measure out the rest of my ingredients. I start by scrubbing and dicing 4 small red potatoes. Then, I loosely chop 8 pieces of thick-sliced bacon and set it aside. I use Applegate organic uncured bacon because I feel that it has the best flavor and doesn't include any growth hormones or artificial ingredients. I'm sure any type will suffice, just make sure its thick enough to render the fat. This is where you are going to get most of your flavor. (Yum)! I then measure out 1/2 cup of all purpose flour and 8 cups of chicken stock (organic if you have it). I used low sodium stock because a lot of salt will derive from the bacon fat and I feel that it's better to under salt than over salt. I then measure out 2 cups of heavy whipping cream, which adds the silky smooth consistency that chowder is known for. I set aside 2 frozen bags of super sweet corn and measure out 1/4 teaspoon of cayanne, 2 Turkish bay leaves and about 2 generous pinches of thyme.
The shrimp should be defrosted by now, so I remove the tails and chop them into bite sized pieces.
Finally, it's finally time to cook.
In a large pot over medium heat, I sautee the bacon until it's brown and crispy and the fat is rendered. With a slotted spoon, I remove the bacon and set it aside. The bottom of the pan should be covered in bacon fat...that's where your flavor is going to come from. Next, I dump in the onion and bell pepper and sautee until translucent, about 4 minutes. Then I add the garlic and jalapenos until the flavors are fragrant. This will only take about one minute. Be sure to watch closely, or else your garlic will burn and turn bitter. Next I add the 2 cups of flour and stir constantly, making sure I scrape the bottom to incorporate all of the flavors. You should cook the flour until it becomes a slight blonde color and it sticks to the vegetables.
After the potatoes have softened, I add the cream, corn and spices. This is also when I add salt and pepper to taste. I like my chowder nice and spicy, so I use a fair amount of cayanne. If you aren't so keen on the heat just use less. The flavor will still be there, I promise. I then turn the heat back down to medium low and let the chowder simmer. I let it cook for about at least 30 minutes to allow all of the flavors to combine and fuse together.
Lastly, I add about a half stick of salted butter to ensure extreme creaminess. I add in the cooked bacon and finish with the chopped shrimp. Since the shrimp is already cooked, it just needs to be heated through. Finally, the chowder is finished.
Now, it's time to eat. Take out a bowl and ladle yourself a nice heaping portion. Be careful though, because you won't be able to have just one!
Spicy Shrimp and Corn Chowder:
8 pieces of thick-sliced bacon, chopped
2 medium Vidalia onions (or yellow), diced
2 medium red bell peppers, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
6 small (or 3 large) cloves of garlic, minced
2 C A.P. flour
8 C low sodium chicken stock
4 small red potatoes, scrubbed and diced
2 C heavy whipping cream
2 bags (24 oz) frozen sweet corn
2 Turkish bay leaves
1/4 tsp cayanne
2 pinches thyme
1/2 stick salted butter
Salt and Pepper to taste
Add the bacon to a pot on medium heat and sautee until crispy and fat is rendered. Remove bacon and set aside. Add onions and red bell peppers and sautee until heated through, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and jalapenos until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add flour and stir until combined and becomes a blonde color. Add chicken stock and potatoes and raise the heat to medium high. Put on the lid and allow to simmer for 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Turn down the heat to low and add the heavy cream, corn, spices and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add 1/2 stick of salted butter and the cooked bacon. Finish with the chopped shrimp. Ladle into a big bowl and top with fresh parsley. Enjoy.
Serves: 10-12
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