chowder essentials: surf & chicken turf

How To Make chowder essentials: surf & chicken turf

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  Recipe Ingredient Notes
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  Yellow Onion Stick with a yellow onion, white onions are too intense. The three methods (chopped, thinly sliced, or grated) do not change how the onion flavors the dish, but change the mouthfeel. Chopped onions give you a bit of crunch, thinly sliced (and I mean paper-thin) will not have a crunch. If you want the flavor of the onions but you would prefer that they melt into the chowder, then grate them. I choose grating. FYI: Vidalia onions would be my first choice. They have a sweet flavor that helps balance the other flavors in this recipe. Sweet Butter The butter is only necessary if your bacon does not render enough fat. You want about 3 tablespoons of bacon fat, if you fall short, substitute with some unsalted butter. Golden or Red Potatoes Golden and red potatoes are what are called a “waxy” variety and hold up better to the simmering process than the russet variety. With that said, russets will work, just do not overcook them. Frozen Corn You should allow the frozen corn to defrost before adding to the recipe. If you have a good crop of fresh corn (YUMMY), then by all means use it, but add about 5 minutes to the time I suggested for simmering the frozen corn. Homemade Worcestershire Looking for a good Worcestershire without anchovies, or all those chemical preservatives? It is easy/peasy to make and tastes like the real thing. So yummy. https://www.justapinch.com/recipes/sauce-spread/other-sauce-spread/diy-essentials-homemade-worcestershire-sauce.html Because homemade sauces do not contain any preservatives, it is important to store them properly. Non-reactive (glass) containers with tight-fitting lids are a must. I love using Weck jars. They are glass, come in all sizes and shapes, and have excellent leakproof lids. If you shop online, you can go to Amazon, type in “Weck Jars” and you will find a ton of them. They last forever, unless you break them. If properly stored in the fridge, this sauce should last 4 - 5 months.
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  ADDITIONAL RECIPE NOTES Flour With all the cheeses, the chowder should be thick enough; however, if you want it thicker, mix about a tablespoon of flour with 2 tablespoons of water to make a slurry, and add it to the chowder in the last ten or so minutes of cooking. Shrimp (peeled and deveined) Size is not that important; if they are small, you can leave them whole; if they are bigger, you might want to cut them into bite-sized pieces. Just remember that shrimp cook quickly. So, when you drop them into the chowder, you only have about 3 – 5 minutes before serving the chowder.
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  Storage This chowder will keep in the fridge for 2 – 3 days before it will begin to lose its flavor. Since this recipe incorporates a lot of dairy, I was curious as to its survivability in the freezer. I froze 3 separate servings in glass containers and left them for a week. I removed one of the servings from the freezer, and put it into a saucepan over low heat. The results tasted fine; however, the chowder base had a grainy mouthfeel. That is typical of freezing dairy products; especially cheese… Strike One. My next attempt was to place the frozen chowder into the microwave, and nuke it on low, low, until warm, but got the same grainy chowder… Strike Two. In my third attempt I moved it from the freezer to the refrigerator and allowed it to slowly defrost for two days. The results were a great chowder with no grainy mouthfeel. So, you can freeze it, but to remove the grainy mouthfeel, you will need to defrost it in the fridge for two days.
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  PREP/PREPARE
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  Gather your Ingredients (mise en place).
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  Dice the bacon and prep the other ingredients.
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  Add the diced bacon to a pot over medium-low heat.
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  Allow it to slowly render its fat until it begins to crisp, about 25 – 30 minutes.
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  Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and leave the fat in the pan. See recipe note on the use of butter.
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  Leave the heat at medium-low, add the onion, and allow to cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10 – 12 minutes.
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  Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 60 seconds.
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  Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
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  Add the diced potatoes and simmer, about 8 – 10 minutes.
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  Add the corn and simmer for about 3 – 5 minutes.
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  Add the half & half and bring back to a simmer.
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  Add the cheeses and stir until melted into the soup.
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  Add spices and stir into chowder base.
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  Add the chicken and simmer for about 10 minutes.
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  Add the shrimp and continue to simmer for 3 – 4 minutes.
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  PLATE/PRESENT
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  Serve in big bowls, top with the reserved bacon, serve with crackers or bread. Enjoy.
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  Keep the faith, and keep cooking.
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  Namaste’
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