Jump to Recipe: Old Bay Scallop Chowder
You may not have a friend who drops off three pounds of bay scallops unexpectedly, but then again, you may. And after you’ve converted one pound into a zippy ceviche with chunks of avocado that you eat with chips before dinner (ruining your appetite, but don’t worry, another one will come along soon enough), you’ll want to make this chowder. The recipe is for two cups of scallops, so after you’ve burned through the ceviche and chowder, my best suggestion is to cook the rest with a fuck ton of garlic, a little white wine, and a bunch of butter, and eat it over a slab of toast with a crisp glass of Albariño, or a good cider, like the ones from Troddenvale or Patois.
Old Bay Scallop Chowder
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 stalks celery, diced
3 cups yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups stock (veg, seafood, or chicken all work great)
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups bay scallops, cleaned and drained (If they have any liquid, throw it in with the stock)
1-2 teaspoons Old Bay
Lemon juice from 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parsley, chives, and/or dill, chopped, for garnish
Directions
Heat olive oil in a dutch oven on medium heat. Saute onion, garlic, and celery until fragrant and translucent. Add potatoes and stock, and bring to a simmer. Cook about ten minutes, until potatoes are soft.
Add heavy cream, and cook for about 10 minutes. Add bay scallops and Old Bay, and stir gently. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, just to cook the scallops and reduce the cream a bit. Taste and season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice. Serve with chopped herbs and an extra squeeze of lemon.