Shrimp, Scallop And Langoustine Chowder
serves 6 as a main course
This recipe from Gary Shenk is more bisque than chowder, thickened with a roux, crowded with shrimp, sea scallops and langoustine tails and finished with red vermouth. Read more about this recipe on the Cookthink blog.
1 stick (1/4 pound) butter, plus 2 tablespoons
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups diced carrots
2 cups diced celery
2 cups chopped leeks (white and light green parts)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh sage
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
5 cups best quality fat-free, low-sodium chicken broth or 4 cups chicken broth plus 1 cup bottled clam juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half-and-half
1 pound large shrimp
1 pound sea scallops
12 ounces langoustine tails
1/4 cup sweet (red) vermouth
prep: 30 minutes
total: 1 hour
Dutch oven
immersion blender
ladle
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of butter with the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot placed over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the carrots, celery and leeks and stir to coat them thoroughly with the oil and butter. Sauté the vegetables for 5 minutes, stirring them frequently; sprinkle in the thyme, sage and salt. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are shiny and beginning to soften.
2. While the vegetables are cooking, make a roux: Melt the remaining stick of butter in a medium sauce pan placed over low heat. When the butter is melted, whisk in the flour, sprinkling it in a little bit at a time to prevent clumping. Cook the roux, stirring constantly with a whisk or a silicon spatula, until it is a little past the blond stage. This will take about 15 minutes.
3. Remove the roux from the heat and stir it into the vegetables, taking care to incorporate it thoroughly. Add a generous grinding of black pepper and the cayenne pepper. Stir in the chicken broth and clam juice, if using, and raise the heat to medium. Bring the chowder to a gentle simmer and simmer, stirring frequently to prevent anything from sticking to the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are completely tender, about 20 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper or cayenne, if you like.
4. For a smoother, more bisque-like chowder, remove the pot from the heat and use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables to your desired consistency. Or transfer some of the soup to a blender and puree. I liked the chunkiness of the diced vegetables so I left them as is.
5. Stir in 1 cup of heavy cream and 1 cup of half-and-half. Bring the soup to a simmer over medium-low heat.
6. Prepare the shellfish: You can cut the shrimp and scallops into bite-size pieces, or you can leave them whole, depending on how big they are and chunky you like your chowder. Since langoustine tails are already bite-size there is no need to cut them.
7. About 20 minutes before serving, add the shellfish and reduce the heat to low. Cook the chowder until the shellfish is just done, 15 to 20 minutes. Take care not to let the chowder boil while the seafood is cooking or it will get tough. During the last few minutes of cooking add the vermouth and stir gently but thoroughly to blend it in. Serve immediately with corn bread, brown bread or a crusty baguette on the side.
