Savor the combined flavors of shrimp, scallops and Italian sausage for a hearty winter meal—served in a homemade bread boule.
Photo by Gwénaël Le Vot
SERVES 6
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground Italian sausage
1 large onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
½ cup flour
1½ quarts fish stock or clam juice, warmed
2 medium potatoes, diced
½ pound shrimp
½ pound bay scallops
1 10-ounce can clams, drained
½ teaspoon dried thyme
8 ounces heavy cream
½ cup white wine (or additional clam juice)
Kosher salt
White pepper
Chopped parsley, for garnish
In a Dutch oven or large stock pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onion and bell pepper. Sauté, breaking up the sausage into bite-size pieces until sausage is cooked. Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle the flour over mixture and stir to create a roux. Cook 5–7 minutes. Gradually whisk in the warm stock/clam juice, blending until smooth. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add potatoes and simmer about 10 minutes until potatoes are cooked but still firm. Add shrimp, scallops, clams and thyme and finish cooking, about 5–6 minutes. Temper the cream into the soup. Add wine and season with salt and pepper. Serve warm, garnished with parsley. For an exceptional presentation, serve this chowder in small hollowed-out bread boules.
Chef’s tips
Why use white pepper instead of black? Black pepper is sharper and more intense in flavor, whereas white pepper is milder and smoother in flavor. Typically, white pepper is used aesthetically in dishes where the sauce or gravy is white. You get the pepper flavor without affecting the appearance of the dish.
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