Seafood chowder was a request from one of my clients for Christmas Eve dinner.  I really have never made my own seafood stock but after talking to my fish expert he said using the shells of the African Lobster tails in the stock would make this recipe magical!  It worked… I can’t explain how delicious this recipe is filled with Little Neck Clams and African Lobster meat.  I took the basic recipe from Ina Garten’s Lobster Chowder and added clams, you could also add shrimp, halibut, whatever you love in a seafood chowder.

Let me know if you like it.

Serves 12

MAIN INGREDIENTS:
• 3 (1 ½ pound) cooked lobsters, cracked and split OR 6-8 tails
• 24 little neck clams (scrub with brush under cold water to clean)
• 4 ears corn

STOCK INGREDIENTS:
• 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter
• 2 cup chopped yellow onion
• ½ cup cream sherry
• 1 ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• 8 cups whole milk
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup dry white wine

SOUP INGREDIENTS:
• 2 tablespoon good olive oil
• ½ pound bacon, diced large
• 4 cups large-diced unpeeled Yukon gold potatoes (4 medium)
• 3 cups chopped yellow onions (4 onions)
• 4 cups diced celery (8 stalks)
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 teaspoons chopped fresh chives
• ½ cup cream sherry

DIRECTIONS:
• Remove the meat from the shells of the lobsters.

• Cut the meat into large cubes and place them in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Reserve the shells and all the juices that collect.

• Cut the corn kernels from the cobs and set aside, reserving the cobs separately.

• For the stock, melt the butter in a stockpot or Dutch oven large enough to hold all the lobster shells and corncobs.

• Add the onion and cook over medium-low heat for 7 minutes, until translucent but not browned, stirring occasionally.

• Add the sherry and paprika and cook for 1 minute.

• Add the milk, cream, wine, lobster shells and their juices, and corn cobs and bring to a simmer. Partially cover the pot and simmer the stock over the lowest heat for 30 minutes. (I move the pot halfway off the heat.)

• Meanwhile, in another stockpot or Dutch oven, heat the oil and cook the bacon for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-low heat, until browned and crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.

• Add the potatoes, onions, celery, corn kernels, salt, and pepper to the same pot and sauté for 5 minutes.

• When the stock is ready, remove the largest pieces of lobster shell and the corn cobs with tongs and discard.

• Place a strainer over the soup pot and carefully pour the stock into the pot with the potatoes and corn.

• Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

• Add the cooked lobster, the chives and the sherry and season to taste.

• Heat gently and serve hot with a garnish of crisp bacon.

This is a great meal in itself.  I serve it with chopped cilantro, homemade tortilla strips, and a good Mexican beer.  The recipe is from “The Family Chef” by Jewels & Jill Elmore.

Serves 6-8

MEATBALL MIXTURE INGREDIENTS:
• A few glugs of olive oil
• ½ large sweet onion, finely diced
• 1 large shallot, finely diced
• 2 handfuls shitake or crimini mushrooms, finely diced
• ½ handful fresh thyme leaves
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 clove garlic, finely diced
• ½ bunch parsley (flat-leaf or regular), finely chopped
• 2 pounds ground dark meat turkey (I also like to use 1 ½ pounds ground dark meat turkey and ½ pound ground pork)

SOUP INGREDIENTS
• ½ large sweet onion, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 large tomato, diced, or a small can of crushed tomatoes
• 8 cups chicken stock or broth
• 2 pinches Mexican oregano and/or dried cilantro
• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
• Prepare the meatball mixture: In a hot skillet add the oil and then sauté the onions, shallot, mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper until mushrooms are cooked through and liquid is absorbed.

• Add the garlic and parsley.  Remove from heat and let cool.

• Add all the sautéed ingredients to the meat, season again generously with salt and pepper and mix together lightly by hand.  Be careful not to over mix, which can toughen the meat.

• If you have time, let the meat rest for a few minutes before forming into 1” meatballs.

• In a large-bottomed pot, brown the meatballs in olive oil, turning frequently.  Set aside.

• Prepare the soup: In the pan you used to brown the meatballs, add a touch more oil and sauté the chopped onion and celery until soft and translucent, scraping the bits from the pan to incorporate the flavors.

• Add the fresh tomatoes and the chicken stock, oregano, and cilantro to pot.  Bring to a boil.

• Turn down the heat to medium and simmer for at least 15 minutes or so.

• Add the meatballs to the pot.  Simmer until meatballs are cooked through (about 10 more minutes).

• Add salt to taste.

This soup gets even better the next day!