Seafood Corn Chowder

This week, I was craving a clam bake at one of my favorite restaurants; Jasper White’s Summer Shack which makes the best Lobster in New England.  His lobster bake is served with 1 whole lobster, steamers, potatoes, corn on the cob, a hard boiled egg, and Portuguese Linguica…. It’s a classic New England clam bake.

Since summer is still months away,  I decided make Seafood Corn Chowder to satisfy my craving.

I’ve created this chowder by combing two soups;  the classic corn chowder, with my favorite soup, Lobster Bisque. The  first time I tried  the bisque it was served with a sniffer of brandy on the side and from that day on, I was hocked!

So, I gave this  soup a Portuguese ethnic twist by using the classic Portuguese Brandy, 1920 which  tones down the sweetness and gives this soup a mellow…smooth taste! Save some brandy to have with an espresso for dessert.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb bay scallops

1 lb shrimp (cut into small pieces)

1 lb chopped clams ( canned if desired)

1 lb lobster cut into pieces (if desired)

1 med onion (chopped)

1 clove garlic (chopped)

1 stalk celery(chopped

2 scallions9 (chopped)

1 lb carrots (chopped

1 16 oz bag frozen corn

1/8 cup olive oil

2 tsp butter

4 cups chicken broth

6 cups 1% milk

1 cup cream

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp pepper

2 tsp chopped parsley( garnish)

1/2 cup flour

1 oz 1920 brandy

Instructions:

In a large soup pan, saute onions, celery, scallions, garlic and carrots in olive oil for about 5 minutes until golden but not browned.

Add chicken broth and cook veg. for about 10 – 15 min, or until carrots are tender.

Puree all the vegetables with blender until it’s a smooth consistency. Then press the soup through a fine food strainer to catch the veg threads.

Add the  cream and the milk (reserve one cup milk) Add the corn, butter salt & pepper and cook for 10 min on med heat (stir often not to stick).

Add the scallops, shrimp, clams, & lobster  and cook for 5 min.

Mix the 1 cup of milk with the flour and make a slurry. Then add a little of hot soup to the milk and flour mixture.

Stir until the flour is dissolved.  Add the flour mixture to soup slowly and keep stirring.

Let the soup cook for about 10 minutes on low heat…keep stirring and don’t let it over boil which will cause it to burn.

(If soup is thin, mix a little more flour mixed with milk in a small bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon of the soup to the flour,  then pour the mixture into the soup and let it cook 5 minutes or until thickened.)

Add the 1920… let it cook for a 5 more minutes… and remove from heat.

Let soup sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy the soup and hold on a few more months, summer will be here soon…