Best Chesapeake Chowder Recipes

CHESAPEAKE CHOWDER

Steps:

• Shuck the oysters and strain the liquor through a fine mesh sieve. Reserve oysters and liquid separately.
• In a saute pan, add the butter and heat until bubbling. Add the leeks, onions, shallots, and thyme and cook until transparent. In a separate large saucepan over medium-high heat, add the bacon and cook until crisp. Lower the heat, add the flour and cook the "roux" for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the fish stock, clam juice, oyster liquor, white wine, potatoes, and Virginia ham. Raise heat to high and bring to a simmer. Add the cooked leek-onion mixture and reduce all by 1/4. Add the corn and cook for 4 minutes. Add the cream, sherry, and hot sauce and cook 4 more minutes, stirring so as not to scorch. Add the rockfish, crabmeat and oysters and cook a minute or two. Check salt and pepper, noting that the ham is very salty so the chowder won't need much.
• Serve in 6 warm soup terrines and garnish with the chopped chives. Serve with corn breadsticks or common crackers.

CHESAPEAKE CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Boil water and add potatoes and onion.
• Cook until tender.
• Add bacon drippings, salt and sugar and pepper.
• Cut up clams and add.
• Cook 10 minutes.
• Slowly pour in milk and stir until soup begins to thicken.

CHESAPEAKE CHOWDER

Steps:

• Peel and devein shrimp; drain and flake crabmeat, removing any bits of shell; set seafood aside.
• Saute onion, garlic, and celery in hot oil in a pan over med-high heat for 8 minutes, until tender.
• Stir in flour; cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
• Stir in broth and the next 4 ingredients; bring to a boil; cover, decrease heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in shrimp, crabmeat, and heavy cream; cook over low heat 5 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink.
• Garnish with parsley; serve.