Creamy Shrimp Chowder with Bacon and Corn
A one pot shrimp chowder built on bacon fat, sweet corn and Yukon Gold potatoes. The shrimp are seared separately and returned at the very end, which is the difference between plump and rubbery. Fifty minutes from the first slice of bacon to the table.
Ingredients
Chowder Base
- 6 slices bacon diced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 stalks celery diced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 cups chicken broth low sodium preferred
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes diced small
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
Shrimp and Finishing
- 1 pound medium shrimp peeled, deveined, tails off
- 1 1/2 cups corn kernels fresh or frozen
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped, for garnish
Equipment
- Large pot or Dutch oven
- Slotted spoon
Instructions
Crisp the Bacon and Sear the Shrimp
- Render the bacon: Cook the diced bacon in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, until crisp. Lift the pieces out with a slotted spoon and reserve them for serving. Leave all of the fat in the pot.
- Sear the shrimp: Raise the heat to medium-high and add the olive oil to the bacon fat. Lay the shrimp in a single layer and sear about 1 minute per side, until pink outside and still slightly translucent in the center. Move them to a bowl.
Build the Chowder Base
- Soften the aromatics: Lower the heat to medium, add the diced onion and celery to the fat, and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the flour: Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute so it loses its raw taste and coats the vegetables.
- Pour in the liquid: Whisk in the chicken broth and the milk a little at a time so the flour disperses smoothly. Add the diced potatoes, Old Bay, garlic powder, and a good pinch of salt and black pepper.
Simmer Until the Potatoes Are Tender
- Simmer: Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 15 to 20 minutes, until a fork slides into a potato cube without resistance. Taste and correct the seasoning now.
- Return the shrimp: Stir in the corn, then tip the seared shrimp back in along with any juices in the bowl. Simmer 2 minutes, just until the shrimp are opaque through the middle.
Finish and Serve
- Add the cream and butter: Take the pot off the heat and stir in the heavy cream and the butter. Do not let it boil again, or the dairy will break.
- Serve: Ladle into bowls and top each one with the reserved crisp bacon and chopped parsley. Serve hot with bread alongside.
Notes
Make-ahead: cook the chowder through the potato simmer and refrigerate it without the shrimp, corn, cream or butter. Sear the shrimp fresh the next day and finish the pot in five minutes.
Storage: leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently over low heat and stop as soon as the surface steams, because a hard boil breaks the dairy and toughens the shrimp.
Freezing: freeze the base only, before the dairy goes in, for up to 3 months.
Doneness: a cooked shrimp is opaque and curled into a loose letter C. A tight O means it has gone too far.
Substitutions: full-fat coconut milk for the milk and cream, or bay scallops for half the shrimp. Nutrition values are an estimate.
Storage: leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently over low heat and stop as soon as the surface steams, because a hard boil breaks the dairy and toughens the shrimp.
Freezing: freeze the base only, before the dairy goes in, for up to 3 months.
Doneness: a cooked shrimp is opaque and curled into a loose letter C. A tight O means it has gone too far.
Substitutions: full-fat coconut milk for the milk and cream, or bay scallops for half the shrimp. Nutrition values are an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 190mg | Sodium: 870mg | Potassium: 950mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 730IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 2.1mg