Name: blushing seafood chowder
Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 tablespoon butter; 2 1/2 ounces Spanish chorizo, skin removed & finely chopped; 1 medium sweet onion, chopped ((about 5 ounces)); 1 large Russet potato, scrubbed & cut into 1/2" dice ((about 11 ounces)); 1 bay leaf; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 teaspoon smoked paprika; 5 cups seafood stock; 1 teaspoon salt ((or to taste)); 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ((or to taste)); 1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped; 8 ounces haddock, cut into bite-sized pieces ((or any white flaky fish)); 8 ounces small or medium shrimp, peeled & deveined; 8 ounces sea scallops ((halved or quartered, if large)); 1 cup light cream ((for a richer broth, use heavy cream)); 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish

A delicious medley of shrimp, scallops & haddock. The rosy tint and flavor hit from Spanish chorizo is totally appetizing. This Blushing Seafood Chowder is one of those dishes that can be switched up and modified, depending on what’s available at your local market.

Your shopping list…

Olive oil
Butter
Spanish chorizo
Medium sweet onion
Large russet potato
Bay leaf
Fresh thyme
Smoked paprika
Seafood stock
Salt & freshly ground black pepper
Roasted red pepper
Haddock or any white flaky fish
Small or medium shrimp
Sea scallops
Light or heavy cream
Fresh chives

The chorizo is finely chopped so that once it is browned, you’ll have crispy crumbles to top off each serving. The residual fat and juices stay in the pot to form the complex base of chowder flavor.

So… what is chorizo?

If you’re not familiar with chorizo, it is a spicy pork & beef sausage that typically hails from Spain. It is usually dry-cured.

There are also Mexican and Caribbean varieties out there, but they should not be substituted for the Spanish variety …which is used for this recipe.

Heat the oil & butter in a very large saucepan or Dutch oven.
Add the chopped chorizo and cook until crispy.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo bits from the pan to drain on a paper towel.
Leave the resulting fat and juice in the pan.

Add the chopped onion to the pan.
Sauté for several minutes, until the onion is softened.

When prepping the potato, don’t make the dice too large.

They’ll simmer for just ten to fifteen minutes before adding the seafood. And, just to be clear, you can use any type of white potato you may have on hand. I used a large russet potato, but a red-skinned or Yukon gold would be just fine.

A helpful hint…

To avoid chomping on a stray stem, you’ll make a thyme bundle with a piece of kitchen twine. Suspend the thyme from the handle of your pot so that the bundle can swim freely as the soup simmers. When it’s time to remove it, a simple tug on the twine will do the trick.

Use a generous piece of kitchen twine to tie the thyme sprigs together.
Place the bundle of thyme in the pot and tie the loose ends of the string to the handle of the pot.
Add the diced potatoes and bay leaf.
Sprinkle with the smoked paprika.

blushing seafood chowder

Add the seafood stock. It should be enough to cover the potatoes by an inch.
Bring the chowder to a boil, then reduce the heat so it simmers gently.
Continue simmering for about 10 to 15 minutes, until the potatoes are soft enough to crush against the side of the pot.
Add salt & pepper to taste.

blushing seafood chowder

Stir in the chopped red pepper.
Add the prepared seafood and gently stir to combine, making sure all pieces are fully submerged.
Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, just until seafood is cooked through and opaque.

This is where you can mix it up to suit your budget and taste. I use a total of 24 ounces …a half-pound each of small shrimp, sea scallops & haddock.

You can use just fish …any white flaky variety. Or you can omit the scallops and increase the shrimp and fish. If you want to be extravagant, you could even use lobster!

Remove the bay leaf and thyme bundle.
Add the light cream and gently stir to combine.
Simmer for an additional minute until mixture is heated throughout.
Ladle the hot chowder into bowls and serve immediately.

blushing seafood chowder

Your delicious Blushing Seafood Chowder is ready…

Serve immediately, topped with reserved chorizo crumbles and chopped fresh chives.

4.67 from 3 votes

blushing seafood chowder

Inspired by cheese1227 at FOOD52

This light creamy chowder features haddock, shrimp & scallops. The blush can be attributed to the addition of Spanish chorizo.

Servings 4 to 6 servings

Author Rosemary Stelmach

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
2 1/2 ounces Spanish chorizo, skin removed & finely chopped
1 medium sweet onion, chopped (about 5 ounces)
1 large Russet potato, scrubbed & cut into 1/2" dice (about 11 ounces)
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
5 cups seafood stock
1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
8 ounces haddock, cut into bite-sized pieces (or any white flaky fish)
8 ounces small or medium shrimp, peeled & deveined
8 ounces sea scallops (halved or quartered, if large)
1 cup light cream (for a richer broth, use heavy cream)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, for garnish

Instructions

Heat oil & butter in a very large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add chopped chorizo and cook until crispy. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chorizo bits from the pan to drain on a paper towel. Leave the resulting fat and juice in the pan.
Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté for several minutes, until the onion is softened.
Use a generous piece of kitchen twine to tie the thyme sprigs together. Place the bundle of thyme in the pot and tie the loose ends of the string to the handle of the pot.
Add the diced potatoes and bay leaf. Sprinkle with smoked paprika. Add the seafood stock. It should be enough to cover the potatoes by an inch. Bring chowder to a boil, then reduce the heat so it simmers until potatoes are soft enough to crush against the side of the pot, about 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Stir in the chopped red pepper.
Add the prepared seafood and gently stir to combine, making sure all pieces are fully submerged. Simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, just until seafood is cooked through and opaque.
Remove bay leaf and thyme bundle. Add light cream and gently stir to combine. Simmer for an additional minute until mixture is heated throughout.
Ladle hot chowder into bowls and serve immediately. Top off each serving with crispy chorizo bits and chopped chives.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you decide to make a purchase after clicking through the link. I have personally experienced all of these products, and I recommend them because I have found them to be of superior quality. We appreciate your support.