Flavorful and easy to make, this seafood chowder has a base of homemeade seafood stock. It is packed with potatoes, shrimp, crab meat, and chopped lobster meat
8ouncescooked mixed seafood of your choice(I used medium shrimp, chopped lobster tail, and crab meat)
For Homemade Seafood Stock
2tbspavocado oilor olive oil
shells from 1 pound of fresh seafood(I used lobster, shrimp, and crab shells)
2largeonionschopped (peeled or unpeeled, your choice)
2largecarrotsunpeeled and chopped
3stalkscelerychopped
2clovesgarlicminced
½cupwhite wineor water or vegetable broth
⅓cuptomato paste
1tbspkosher salt
1 ½tspblack pepper
6sprigsfresh thymewith the stems
Instructions
To Make the Seafood Stock
Warm oil in a stockpot over medium heat.
Add the seafood shells, onions, carrots, and celery and saute for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Add 1 1/2 quarts of water, wine, tomato paste, salt, pepper, and thyme. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Strain stock through a sieve, pressing the solids.You should have approximately 1 quart of stock. You can make up the difference with water or wine if you need to.
To Make the Chowder
Add olive oil to a 3 quart or larger soup pot over medium heat. When oil begins to shimmer, stir in carrot, onion, and celery, and saute until onion is translucent, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for another minute, stirring constantly so that garlic doesn't burn.
Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir to combine. They will appear pasty. Turn heat up to medium high and slowly whisk in seafood stock, about 1/4 cup at a time, until all stock has been incorporated.
Turn heat to high and bring to a light boil. Add potatoes and all seasonings and reduce heat slightly. Cook 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are fork tender.
In the final 3 minutes of cooking time, stir in cooked seafood and half and half or milk. Taste and add additional seasonings as desired.