Seafood Chowder (Gf, Df Options)
Easy and quick to prepare this delicious creamy chowder is flavorful and hearty. It is ideal for a weeknight dinner. The versatility of this recipe allows you to make it with whatever root-cellar vegetables you have on hand, as well as aromatics like celery, leeks, garlic, fresh and dried herbs. This chowder recipe can be gluten and dairy free, see notes for instructions. You can use all shellfish, which is what I did, or just fish. What I love about this recipe is that you get to make your chowder based on personal taste and preferences.
Servings 4 Servings
Calories 681kcal
Equipment
- Large heavy-bottomed stockpot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 11/2 - 2 cups seafood shucked shelled, peeled and deveined crab meat (I used king) scallops, shrimp, lobster and clams. I used 2 cups whole white clams in the shell
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter, divided into 2 tbsp and 4 tbsp
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 cup chopped yellow onions
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup medium-diced celery
- 1 cup medium-diced carrots
- 2 cups potatoes peeled medium-diced
- 1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper
- 1/8 tsp liquid smoke
- 12 oz clam juice
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup stock
- 1 cup cream
- 3 tbsp white wine
Instructions
- Melt 2 tbsps. of the butter with oil in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Don’t brown or caramelize the onions.
- Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, garlic salt, pepper and liquid smoke and sauté for 10 more minutes. Add the white wine to deglaze. Add clam juice and stock. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.
Making the roux
- In a small pot, melt the remaining 4 tbsp of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over very low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add a cup of the hot broth from the stock pot and whisk until all lumps are gone. See notes for gluten and dairy free options.
Thickening the chowder
- Pour the roux mixture back into the cooked vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened. Remove bay leaves and discard. Add the cream and stir well.
- Add seafood and heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams, shrimp, scallops and lobster and heat the crab meat through. Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary.
- Garnish with parsley. Serve hot with warm garlic bread or cheddar drop biscuits.
Notes
Gluten-free options:
Make a cornstarch slurry: 4 tbsp of cornstarch mixed with 1/4 cup cold water and set aside.
Follow the first two steps outlined above. Sauteing, deglazing etc. Then bring the pot to a boil, cover and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 15 - 20 minutes.
Increase heat slightly and add the seafood and allow to cook for a few minutes. Add coconut milk, cream or non-dairy milk of your choice and stir well...gently.
Add cornstarch slurry to the hot chowder a little at a time, stirring gently until desired thickness is achieved.
Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.
Thickener
In place of cornstarch you can also use arrowroot, potato starch (not flour) or tapioca starch.
Dairy-free options:
Replace cream, with full fat coconut milk or coconut evaporated milk or any plant-based milk of your choice.
Nutrition
Serving: 4servings | Calories: 681kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 44g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 277mg | Sodium: 1704mg | Potassium: 1073mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 7264IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 208mg | Iron: 2mg