Happy Friday (ok well, more like happy Saturday, I am a day late this week, sorry about that). This week, because the weather here in San Francisco has taken a turn from super hot to super cold in a matter of 24 hours, I am giving you a recipe for chowder... but a summer like chowder that has corn and shrimp so at least we can use the fresh produce in it.
Of course with the weather being as nice as it was, my little urban garden is in full bloom. My lemon thyme is growing out of control, so this is a recipe that will include some of that, as well as yummy white corn from the market and some delicious shrimp, oh yeh, and some bacon, because, bacon makes everything taste better. This is a chowder that can be made with substitutions for vegetarians... sub the shrimp for potatoes, take out the bacon and add.. not sure, it's hard to find something similar to that bacon flavor. But you get the idea. You can add celery and carrots to give it more veggies. I like it simple and delicious, and have given you my version of a Corn & Shrimp chowder that I have made before. The creaminess of this chowder can be paired with a buttery Chardonnay, or a nice crisp Sauvignon Blanc to cut the richness, and the bacon in there would allow for a nice medium bodied red... a Zinfandel perhaps. So enjoy this chowder in the warmth or the coolness of summer, and as always Happy Cooking
Corn, Shrimp & Bacon Chowder
6 slices bacon, chopped
2 cups white or yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 corn cobs, kernels removed, keep cob for flavoring the stock
2 cups chicken (or veggie) stock
1 cup water
1 1/2 cup half and half
2 lbs fresh shrimp (frozen are fine, but fresh is better) shelled, deveined, and if large cut into medium size pieces
1 tspn fresh lemon thyme
salt & pepper to taste
1 tspn cayenne (optional)
- in a cast iron pot add the bacon and render the fat. cook until just crisped, remove the bacon, leaving the fat. Add onions, and sweat in the fat until translucent. (You aren't browning the onions, just sweating them. Remember this is a white soup, you don't want big brown chunks floating in it.) Add garlic and thyme and cook just until fragrant. Deglaze pot with stock, add water, and place the corn cobs in the liquid. Bring to a boil, add the half and half, allow to boil again and reduce to a simmer, reduce the liquid down to achieve a thicker consistency. Remove the cobs once the liquid is reduced. Add the corn kernels, and cook until tender. Lastly place the raw shrimp into the pot. Cook the shrimp until they turn pink and are cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste, cayenne if you desire a little spice. Ladle into serving bowls, top with the crispy bacon, garnish with some lemon thyme sprigs and enjoy.
* I tend to salt and pepper my chowder towards the end as cooking with cream tends to dull the flavors. I don't want to over salt it, so I just wait until all of the flavors are in the pot, and adjust accordingly. Again because you are using cream, you may need a lot of salt, but don't worry this recipe should feed 4-6 people depending on the size of the bowls.
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