Shrimp, sweet potato and leek chowder
6 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | tablespoon | Vegetable oil |
| 1 | medium | Onion; minced |
| 1 | tablespoon | Red chile, minced |
| 4 | cups | Bottled clam juice |
| 4 | slices | Bacon; minced |
| 3 | mediums | Leeks white plus 3\" green cut in 1/2\" pieces |
| 1 | small | Onion; minced |
| 1 | tablespoon | Garlic; minced |
| ¾ | pounds | Medium shrimp shelled, halved lengthwise deveined, shells reserved |
| 2 | tablespoons | Tomato paste |
| 1 | large | Sweet potato; peeled cut in 1/2\" dice |
| 3 | cups | Milk |
| 1 | tablespoon | Paprika |
| Salt and pepper | ||
| ¼ | cup | Chives; snipped |
Directions
STOCK
SOUP
Make the stock: heat the oil in a heavy medium saucepan. Add the onion and chile and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the clam juice, shrimp shells, tomato paste and 1 cup of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer for 20 minutes. Strain the stock into a large heatproof measuring cup. You should have 4 cups of stock; boil to reduce if necessary.
Make the soup: Set a large saucepan over moderately high heat until hot. Add the bacon and cook, stirring, until crisp, about 4 minutes.
With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
Stir in the leeks, onion, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp stock and sweet potato and simmer over moderately low heat until the sweet potato is tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the shrimp and the bacon and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and paprika, season with salt and pepper and heat through; do not let the chowder boil or it will curdle. Ladle the soup into warmed soup plates and garnish with the chives.
Food and Wine January 1995
Submitted By DIANE LAZARUS On 02-01-95