Seafood Chowder Recipe

Prep

Dice the onion, celery, and carrot finely (small dice). Mince the garlic and strip thyme leaves from stems. Peel and dice potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes. Pat seafood dry and season lightly with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper; keep refrigerated until use.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat until butter foams. Add diced onion, celery, and carrot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened and the onion is translucent, about 6–8 minutes.

Add the minced garlic, thyme leaves, and bay leaf. Cook 1 minute more until fragrant, taking care not to brown the garlic.

Turn heat to medium-high and add the white wine (if using). Scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot and simmer until the wine is reduced by about half, 2–3 minutes.

Add diced potatoes and the fish/seafood stock (or clam juice). Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Partially cover and cook until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork, about 12–15 minutes.

Once potatoes are tender, stir in the milk and bring back to a gentle simmer—do not boil vigorously to prevent curdling. If you want a slightly thicker chowder, whisk together the flour and cold water to make a slurry (see thickening slurry). Slowly whisk slurry into the simmering liquid and cook 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.

Reduce heat to low. Stir in the firm white fish pieces first and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes.

Add the shrimp and scallops (and bay scallops, if using). Continue to cook gently until shrimp are pink and opaque and scallops are just cooked through, about 3–5 minutes more depending on size. Avoid overcooking—seafood should be tender.

Stir in the frozen corn and let warm through 2 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

Stir in the heavy cream, chopped parsley, lemon juice, Old Bay seasoning, remaining salt and pepper to taste, and chopped cooked bacon if using. Taste and adjust seasoning—add up to 1/2 tsp more salt or a squeeze more lemon if desired.

Discard bay leaf. Let chowder rest 5 minutes to allow flavors to meld before serving.

Ladle chowder into bowls. Garnish with extra parsley, a grind of black pepper, and a small drizzle of cream or olive oil if you like. Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers.