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Shrimp Chowder

Source of Recipe

From "The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook" by Matt Lee and Ted Lee


Recipe Introduction

"Shrimp season in South Carolina runs from mid-May to October. The legal harvest dates are set firmly each year by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. But in towns along the coast with sizable shrimping fleets, such as Georgetown, McClellanville, and Beaufort, shrimp season begins when a man or woman of the cloth blesses a gathering of the town's shrimp boats with prayers for safe passage and large hauls. The ceremony, called 'The Blessing of the Shrimp Fleet,' often precedes a townwide festival celebrating the geographical good fortune of its coastal location. We developed this recipe of a recent shrimping season. We wanted to create a soup as elegant as a bisque but with texture, smoke, and fire. We ended up turning the recipe in the direction of chowder, with cream, bacon, and potatoes. Dunk a thick slice of Sally Lunn in this, put a glass of white wine on the table, and call it a meal."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 1 pound headless large fresh shrimp (26-30 per pound), shells on
â—¦ 6 cups chicken broth plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 pound Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes, peeled and finely diced (2 cups)
â—¦ ¼ pound slab bacon or 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
â—¦ 2 serrano, Thai, or other dried red chiles, stems trimmed, slit down their sides, seeded, and flattened
â—¦ 1 cup chopped yellow onion (about 1 large onion)
â—¦ â…” cup chopped celery (abut 2 large stalks)
â—¦ 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
â—¦ 1 bay leaf
â—¦ 1 cup dry, full-flavored white wine, such as steel-aged Chardonnay or Sancerre
â—¦ 2 cups half-and-half
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon finely minced lemon zest
â—¦ 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt
â—¦ ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ½ cup chopped green onions or fresh flat-leaf parsley


Recipe

Peel the shrimp (devein, if desired).

Melt the butter in a 4- to 6-quart pot, and when it is frothy, add the shells. Sauté until the shells turn bright orange but have not begun to brown, about 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shells to a piece of cheesecloth, tie them up in a tight bundle, and return them to the pot. Pour in the chicken broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the potatoes, reduce the heat to low, and simmer vigorously until the broth has reduced by one third and the potatoes are just soft, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the broth (you should have 4 cups) and potatoes separately. Discard the bundle of shells. Rinse and dry the pot and return it to the stovetop.

Scatter the diced bacon in the pot and sauté over medium-high heat until it is firm and just golden brown, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer it to a small bowl. Pour off and discard all but 2 tablespoons bacon fat and return the pot to the burner. Add the chiles and gently toast them until they become discolored and release some of their fragrance, about 30 seconds per side. Remove and reserve in another small bowl. Add the onion, celery, thyme and bay leaf, and sauté, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom, until the onion is slightly translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved broth, the wine, and the reserved chiles and bring to a vigorous simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes, or until the broth is reduced by one quarter and the celery has lost all its color. Remove the bay leaf.

Add half the shrimp to the broth and simmer until they are pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Ladle some of the broth, vegetables, and shrimp into a food processor or blender and process to a smooth purée, about 3 minutes. Repeat, processing in batches until all the soup is puréed. Clean the pot. Pass the purée through a fine-mesh strainer into the pot.

Add the reserved potatoes, the half-and-half, and the lemon zest and stir to distribute. Return to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Roughly chop the remaining shrimp, add them to the pot, and simmer until they are pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Season with the salt and pepper.

Serve in bowls, garnished with the reserved bacon and the green onions or parsley.

For 6 people