Description
A rich and creamy New England-style seafood chowder featuring shrimp, scallops, cod, and optional clams, simmered with aromatic vegetables and seasoned with Old Bay and thyme. This comforting soup is perfect for a hearty meal and served best with oyster crackers or crusty bread.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauté Base
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 2 celery stalks, diced
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Main Ingredients
- 3 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 4 cups seafood stock or fish stock
- 1 cup clam juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/2 pound scallops
- 1/2 pound cod or haddock, cut into chunks
- 1/2 pound clams or mussels, scrubbed (optional)
Finishing Touches
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Oyster crackers or crusty bread, for serving
Instructions
- Sauté Vegetables: Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, and carrots and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add Potatoes and Liquids: Incorporate the cubed potatoes, seafood stock, clam juice, bay leaf, Old Bay seasoning, dried thyme, salt, and black pepper into the pot. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer and continue cooking for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Incorporate Dairy and Seafood: Stir in the heavy cream and whole milk gently. Add the shrimp, scallops, cod chunks, and optional clams to the pot. Simmer gently for 6 to 8 minutes, just until the seafood is cooked through and the clams have opened, ensuring not to boil to prevent seafood toughness.
- Finish and Serve: Remove and discard any unopened clams along with the bay leaf. Stir in the fresh chopped parsley. Serve the chowder hot accompanied by oyster crackers or crusty bread on the side.
Notes
- Do not boil the chowder once the seafood is added to avoid toughening the seafood.
- You can substitute cod with other white fish such as salmon or halibut for variety.
- For a lighter chowder, replace heavy cream with half-and-half.
- Omitting oyster crackers or bread makes this recipe gluten-free.
