Author Notes
This Cajun chowder is lost somewhere between gumbo and soup, built from several generic New England clam chowder recipes, spiced up (literally) with cayenne pepper, jalapenos, and Cajun spice, and thickened by a generous helping of dark brown sugar, brown rice, and corn. —Katie McGuire
Ingredients
-
10 ounces
frozen salad shrimp
-
16 ounces
frozen clams on the half shell
-
2 tablespoons
olive oil
-
Cajun spice, to taste
-
cayenne pepper, to taste
-
4 tablespoons
butter
-
1
sweet onion, chopped
-
12 ounces
Andouille sausage, sliced
-
2
jalapeño peppers, diced
-
1 1/2 cups
water
-
2
large potatoes, cubed
-
2
11 oz cans of whole kernel corn
-
1/2 cup
dark brown sugar
-
black pepper, to taste
-
1 cup
cooked brown rice
-
3 cups
half-and-half
-
3
scallions, chopped
-
parsley (for garnish)
Directions
-
Rapid thaw salad shrimp according to bag. Set aside.
-
Sautée clams in olive oil, seasoning with Cajun spice and cayenne pepper to taste. Remove clams from shells and set aside.
-
Set a large pot on a burner set to medium-high heat and put in one tablespoon of butter until melted. Add onion, Andouille sausage, jalapenos, and clams. Stir ingredients and season with Cajun spice and cayenne pepper to taste.
-
Add water, potatoes, corn, and dark brown sugar to the pot, Stir and season with black pepper, Cajun spice, and cayenne pepper to taste (the spicier the better!).
-
Raise the heat and bring the soup to a boil, then cook uncovered on high heat for 10 minutes.
-
After 10 minutes of simmering, add cooked rice and cook 5 minutes more.
-
Add remaining butter and half-and-half and stir until soup is well mixed. Heat through on medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season as desired and don’t allow the soup to boil again.
-
Add salad shrimp and scallions to the pot and stir into the soup. Heat through 2 more minutes.
-
Sprinkle with parsley and serve hot! Make sure to scoop from the bottom of the pot to get all the good stuff in your bowl.
See what other Food52ers are saying.