How to make a shrimp and crab chowder for your next special dinner. This restaurant-style soup is sure to amaze your guests!
At the beginning of this year, I received an invitation to participate in a Recipe Swap of sorts from Christianna of Burwell General Store. During her travels, Christianna had found an old-time hymnal and cookbook ( All-Day Singin’ and Dinner on the Ground by Albert E. Brumley) and thought it would be fun to update the older recipes and give them our own twist.
The rules of the swap are pretty simple: change three things about the original recipe while staying true to its basic premise and adding your own twist. This month’s Selection for the recipe swap was “Wild Rabbit with Vegetables.”
Now I have to tell you, the thought of eating a little fluffy bunny is not high on my list. I do understand they’re considered good eatin’ in certain parts of the world, but I’m afraid rabbit has not made its way into my repertoire.
As I looked over the recipe, it really didn’t look much different from any stew I could make, and chicken would have been the easiest substitution for the little fluffy bunny. Sigh.
But I had Shrimp and jumbo lump crab meat on hand, so rather than make a trip to the store, I decided to make my entry in this month’s swap a Seafood stew. I did have some fish pieces in the freezer, but they looked a little worse for wear, so instead of ingredients in the stew, they found their way into the stock pot with all the shrimp shells I had been saving.
This would have made a wonderful fisherman’s stew with chunks of fish and even a few clams, but without the fish, I decided to make it into a chowder. It was without a doubt a good decision, and it will be making many more appearances at our table. Feel free to recreate this dish with whatever seafood you have on hand or is available in your area.
For another seafood stew or soup recipe, be sure to try my popular cioppino recipe, it is a crowd pleaser.
Any way you make it, I’m sure it will be a hit at your table!
While we are making chowder, be sure to give my tasty corn chowder recipe a try too.
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Shrimp and Crab Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion medium dice
- 3-4 carrots , rough cut medium
- 6 celery stalks rough cut medium
- 2 medium potatoes rough cut medium
- 1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined, and chopped
- ½ lb crab meat ( I used jumbo lump)
- ½ lb unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 Cup all purpose flour
- 2 quarts fish or chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- old bay to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- start a seafood stock with any fish pieces, or scrap, shrimp shells or fish bones you may have on hand. ( you may use clam juice instead)
- add the butter to a 4 quart sauce pan with all of the rough cut vegetables and allow to cook until they begin to soften.
- Add the flour to the vegetables and mix well, to make a roux, allow this to cook for at least 5 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
- add the heated stock to the roux mixture and blend well.
- add in the heavy cream and season.
- allow chowder to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- add the chopped shrimp pieces and allow to cook in the chowder for 3-5 minutes
- Before serving add in your crab meat.
Paul says
Chef thank you for sharing this. There is a place reserved in my book for this. Made it tonight home run
Chef Dennis Littley says
thanks Paul, glad that you liked it!
Carrie's Experimental Kitchen says
Good morning! I have featured this recipe on my blog today for my weekly seafood round-up and have linked this recipe to your original post so that my readers will be forwarded to your site. Thank you for allowing me to share! Here is the link: http://carriesexperimentalkitchen.blogspot.com/2012/10/seafood-frenzy-friday-week-39.html
Ma What's For Dinner says
Ugh…my mom used to make us rabbit. Not my favorite night! I would have much preferred a big steaming bowl of this! Oh and your shrimp looks amazing. I’m so hungry now! I’ll be making this later this fall for sure. Thanks for a great recipe.
Lots of yummy love,
Alex aka Ma What’s For Dinner
Barefeet In The Kitchen says
This is one of my favorite soups and yours looks fantastic. I seriously wish I could grab that shrimp right off the top.
StephenC says
Why on earth would you cook the shrimp for 30 minutes?
Chef D says
You are right, and If I was in a restaurant I would add them as I heated each portion, but when your cooking at home and your making a big pot of soup, as in any soup or chowder, you cut the pieces up in small sizes so they aren’t so tough to chew. It’s pretty much the same with any seafood in soups or chowders, clams get tough too. While in a perfect world I would add them as well as the crab meat in before service, it’s just not practical at home, especially after a hard day at work.
nipponnin says
This looks so nice! This dish is little too hot to try right now ( Oregon finally reaches 100 degree weather tomorrow) but definitely love to have in the chilly evening. Congratulations on top 9.
Megan @ Pip and Ebby says
I’m having a hard time even looking at these photos because I want to jump into that bowl! I’m starving…and I feel like I MUST have this. This chowder looks perfect.
Kita says
You knew this one would be a hit didn’t you? How could anyone resist a bowl of that? Chowder is my all time favorite soup!
Marguerite says
Omg, this chowder looks so scrumptious and heavenly and I would love a bowl right now! Thanks for another great recipe for the “Chef Dennis” file! 🙂 Yummm!
Shumaila says
The chowder looks beautiful and what a great way to interpret the challenge. Yum!
Ana Helena Campbell says
What a beautiful chowder! A great top 9 for sure. Congrats!
anne says
wow, that looks and I’m sure tastes just wonderful! anne
The Travelling Chopsticks says
Hmm – I may be in the minority here, but I do actually love rabbit and is pretty easy to get a hold of here in Mexico so I may be trying that orginal recipe after all! Needless to say, this Shrimp and Crab chowder does look amazing and the recipe seem quite straight forward! Thanks for sharing!
German Mama says
Potatoes and shrimp in one soup – awesome!
Elizabeth of AsianinAmericamag says
It’s a dark and stormy day today here in the east, and this is the PERFECT thing! I love seafood and love how you combined the shrimp and crab in this chowder! Can’t wait to try this one…running to the kitchen now ! Thanks for a great recipe, Chef Dennis!