Shrimp Chowder

Plump shrimp, spicy Old Bay seasoning, and smoky bacon give this chowder lots of personality and pizzazz. Serve this in hollowed-out sourdough bread bowls for a great casual meal.

Ingredients

• 8 strips thick-cut bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 stalks celery, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 3 cups chicken broth
• Two 8-ounce bottles clam juice
• 5 medium red or Yukon gold potatoes, cut into ½-inch chunks
• 1 bay leaf
• 1½ pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley for garnishing
• ¼ cup finely chopped fresh chives for garnishing

Instructions

cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp and remove it to paper towels to drain. Remove all but ¼ cup of the bacon drippings from the skillet.

add the onion, celery, thyme, and seasoning and sauté until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, whisking the roux constantly. Gradually stir in the broth and clam juice and bring to a boil.

transfer the contents of the skillet to the insert of a 5- to 7-quart slow cooker. Stir in the potatoes and bay leaf. Cover and cook on high for 2½ to 3 hours, until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the bacon, shrimp, and cream.

cover and cook for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the shrimp is cooked through.

remove the bay leaf and serve garnished with parsley and chives.

serves 8