I am often credited (teased about?) with “designing an outfit around a pair of earrings” or “designing a room around a napkin”. This dish did not need a less-than-obvious source of inspiration. I made this Spicy Shrimp Corn Chowder because of a beautiful photo! That photo was one from Playful Cooking, a beautiful and inspiring food blog!
That photo showed a lovely soup garnished with corn and a beautiful seared shrimp. Gorgeous! Since I’d never made a corn chowder and the last days of fresh corn were quickly escaping, I knew I should make this chowder pronto!
One of the things that attracted me to this recipe was the fact that it is a hearty chowder, made thick and satisfying by pureeing the vegetables rather than adding copious amounts of cream. This way the flavor of the corn, onions, pepper and leeks shines through. The spices are warm and inviting. And it is easy to make, and you can make it quickly or simmer it for an afternoon. A great recipe for early fall!
Hopefully this Chowder recipe will inspire YOU! Enjoy!
Spicy Shrimp Corn Chowder
This hearty delicious chowder recipe is adapted from Playful Cooking. I have added red pepper to it, and altered the spice mixture a bit. The original recipe calls for Korean Chile powder, which I did not have, so I substituted smoked paprika and cayenne pepper.
- Yield: 6 main-dish servings
- Category: Good for crowd, Recipe, Seafood
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. Butter
- 2 Large leeks, chopped finely
- 6 Cloves garlic, minced
- 6 Ears of corn, kernels removed
- 3 Medium potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes
- 2 Chopped roasted red peppers (I used the kind that come in a jar)
- 2 Bunches green onions, chopped finely
- 4 tsp. Ground Cumin + additional for shrimp
- 3 tsp. Smoked Paprika + additional for shrimp
- 3 tsp. Ground fennel seed + additional for shrimp
- 1/2 tsp. Cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
- 2 c Water
- 3 c Milk
- 24 Large shrimp, shells removed (I used 13-15 size)
- 4 tbsp. Olive oil
Instructions
- In a large, deep pan, melt the butter along with 3 T of the olive oil, over medium heat. Add the chopped leek, seasoning with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened, 3-5 minutes. Add the chopped garlic. Continue to cook 1 minute.
- Add the corn kernels, chopped potatoes, red pepper, and 3/4 of the chopped onions. Season with 1 tsp salt and all of the spices. Stir and allow to cook for about a minute. Add the milk and 2 cups of the water. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until potatoes are softened, 10-15 minutes. It is ok to let this simmer an hour or so if desired, but not necessary,
- While chowder cooks, rub shrimp with oil. Sprinkle with salt, cumin, fennel and smoked paprika. Heat a sauté pan with 1 T olive oil. Once oil is hot, fry the shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side, until the shrimp curls. Set aside.
- Using an immersion blender, blend chowder to desired consistency. You can blend for a minute or so to make it remain a bit chunky, or blend a couple extra minutes for it to be smooth. It's delicious either way! Add additional water to the soup, as desired. IMPORTANT: Be sure to salt to taste at this point as well!
- Ladle into serving dishes. Top each dish with several shrimp and a sprinkle of the remaining green onions.
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Looks so inviting!! Gorgeous photos, Laura!
Freda, thank you so much!