Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Published April 19, 2024
- Total Time
- About 1 hour
- Prep Time
- 20 minutes
- Cook Time
- 35 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 6strips bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 1pound medium to large shelled and deveined shrimp, tails removed
- Salt
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼cup all-purpose flour
- 4scallions, whites separated from greens, thinly sliced
- 4medium, unpeeled red potatoes (about 1¼ pounds), cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3celery stalks, cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 2teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (from 2 to 4 sprigs)
- 1(15.25-ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
- 1tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1quart fish or chicken stock
- 2cups whole milk
- Hot sauce (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
680 calories; 36 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 13 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 48 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 15 grams sugars; 43 grams protein; 1823 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
To a large, wide pot, add the bacon and turn the heat to medium. Cook until most of the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving as much fat as possible in the pot. Set bacon aside for serving.
- Step 2
While the bacon cooks, pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and toss with ½ teaspoon salt. Add the shrimp to the pot. Cook until just opaque, about 30 seconds per side. Turn off the heat. Using tongs or a slotted spoon, transfer shrimp to a medium bowl and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
- Step 3
Melt the butter in the same pot over medium. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk continuously until a golden brown and a loose paste (a roux) starts to form, 1 to 2 minutes. It should have a rich, nutty aroma and bubble slightly when not whisking. Add scallion whites, potatoes, celery, thyme, corn and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir until everything is well coated with the roux. Stir in the Worcestershire sauce followed by 2 cups of the stock, stirring and scraping up any browned bits on the bottom and sides of the pot. Add the remaining stock and bring to a rolling boil over high heat.
- Step 4
When boiling, decrease heat to medium and simmer, uncovered and occasionally stirring, until potatoes are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Return the shrimp and any collected juices to the pot. Simmer until shrimp are cooked through, about 1 minute. Taste and season with salt. Divide among shallow bowls and top with scallion greens and crispy bacon bits. Add dashes of hot sauce, if desired.
- Reheat chowder over low heat, otherwise the milk will break.
Private Notes
Comments
This is, I'm sure, fine. But odd. I don't think you need the bacon in any kind of a seafood chowder. It doesn't need a roux because the potatoes, as they cook, will shed ample starch. The shrimp don't need cooking at all-- add them for the last two minutes, boom-done. And I'd say there's insufficient allium-- I would use a large onion (red, white, yellow, Vidalia) diced up and sauteed in butter to *start*.
Add some smoked paprika to simulate the bacon’s flavor without adding meat.
There is really no need to pre-cook the shrimp. Just add it at the end and even with the heat off, it will cook through in just a few minutes.
This was wonderful, but I made some alterations--many thanks to helpful commenters. No roux; diced a small poblano & red bell pepper; cooked veggies for 5 minutes to soften and microwaved cut spuds for 5 minutes first; used 2 cans of Del Monte's new Mexican Street Corn and used its juice in place of some of the stock. Needless to say, the flavor profile changed, but we loved the results. Thanks very much, Ms. Chan-Tam and NYT Cooking crew.
Once everything is cut, chopped, and measured, this came together quite easily with pleasing result. Substituted smokey paprika for bacon, and didn’t do early sauté of halved shrimp. Grocer didn’t have fresh thyme; used dried (2 tsp). This makes a lot of soup. Leftovers will cover 2 more meals for the two of us.Will put into rotation.
Delicious! I used red onion instead of scallions, and added crushed red pepper flakes for a little kick. Changed the method just a bit since I couldn't bear to incorporate all that bacon fat, so after quickly sautéing the shrimp in it (for flavor), I poured out the bacon fat and added EVOO to sauté the red onion and celery, then proceeded as directed. It was very yummy and worthy for guests too.