Seafood-Clam Chowder, S&R Style

A creamy, restaurant-inspired chowder with clam meat, shrimp and seafood stock.

Ingredients

For the seafood liquor

• 1.077 kg fresh halaan, rinsed and purged
• 1.021 kg whole crab
• 457 g whole shrimp, shell/head on
• 700 mL water for the steamer

For the chowder

• All cooked halaan meat
• 303 g raw cleaned/deveined shrimp
• 500 mL strained seafood liquor
• 60 g butter
• 150 g white onion, very finely diced
• 50 g all-purpose flour
• 450–500 g potatoes, peeled, cut into 8–10 mm cubes
• 700 mL full-cream milk
• 250 mL all-purpose cream
• 1 small bay leaf
• ¼ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp ground white pepper
• ⅛ tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp chicken powder, initially
• Salt only after tasting

Optional, only if still too thin

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp cold water

Method

• Put 700 mL water below the steaming rack and bring to a boil. Steam crab for 8 minutes, then add whole shrimp for 3–4 minutes. Remove the cooked shrimp, then steam clams until open, about 4–6 minutes. Discard unopened clams and finish cooking the crab.
• Let the collected seafood liquid settle, then strain finely, leaving sediment behind. Measure 500 mL, reducing or topping up with water if needed. Remove clam meat from its shells; chill reserved seafood promptly if not using immediately.
• Soften onion in butter for 5–6 minutes. Stir in flour and cook 2 minutes without browning. Gradually add seafood stock and the seasonings except salt.
• Add potatoes and simmer 12–15 minutes, until tender. Mash about ½ cup back into the soup. Lower the heat and add milk and cream; gently heat 5 minutes.
• Add the cleaned raw shrimp for about 2½–4 minutes, until opaque and cooked through. Add cooked clam meat for the final 1–2 minutes. Remove bay leaf, taste, and thicken with a little optional slurry only if needed. Rest briefly and serve hot.

Before you cook

Read the ingredient labels for allergens, especially seafood, soy, wheat, dairy and eggs. Prepared sauces and seasoning powders vary in saltiness, so taste before adding more. Cooking times are guides; check doneness in the actual batch.

Cook poultry and reheated leftovers to 74°C, ground meat to 71°C, and fish to 63°C. FoodSafety.gov cooking guidance ↗