Last month, I had the privilege of hosting my yaya's for lunch. If you're a woman, your yaya's are some of your closest friends - some of these friends you can have for a long time, some are new friends. But they're a group of ladies you can't help but fall in love with. We're spread out from Richmond to Williamsburg at this point - all of us stay way too busy, so we relish the time we get to spend with each other and just can't wait to get together.
My friend Carla (who wasn't at the lunch - she was out of town) had shared with me this recipe - I tried it one night and thought OMG good! I adapted it a little - the original recipe calls for peppers, which my husband doesn't like. I think I reduced the liquid a bit too (and you can even more if you want it less soupy). What I loved about it was how all the different flavors just explode in one mouth full. And it was good that most of it was prepared earlier in the day before the girls got to my house so I could wiiiiiine before lunch. (As an aside, the wine choice was Veritas Viognier - one of the best Virginia wines you will ever put in your mouth, and Virginia Viognier is the best Viognier there is. There - I said it).
Ingredients:
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Once hot, add the bacon slices and cook until crispy and golden brown. Remove the bacon and let it drain on a paper towel (you're gonna want the bacon crispy). Add the onions to the pot, with a little salt and pepper, and cook for about five minutes. Add the garlic and continue to cook for an extra minute. Whisk in the flour, cooking about two minutes (you want the flour to turn a little golden). Add the chicken stock, potatoes, and corn. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.
About the potatoes - I LOVE the multi-colored fingerling potatoes. This "pack" of potatoes typically has white, red, purple, and sweet potatoes in it - they're young, tender, and the different kinds gives the chowder a wonderful flavor, I think. However, use what you want or what you have. I just think the different colored ones are fun.
While the soup is simmering, heat your grill on the highest setting. Season the shrimp with just a little salt and pepper, and brush a layer of BBQ sauce on them. Cook about 2 minutes per side (careful not to over cook your shrimpies. So don't drink too much wine before playing with the grill).
After 15 minutes, the soup should be slightly thickened and the potatoes should be breaking down. Turn off the heat and add the milk. I'd start with the cream (unless you're watching calories) first - if it's soupy enough, then you're done with the liquids. If you want it a little more soupy (mine was), add the cup of milk as well. If you'd like to kick it up a notch, squirt a bit of sriracha sauce in the chowder and stir - not really enough to change or add to the flavor per se, but to just give it a little heat. Taste - add a little salt and pepper if you deem it necessary.
Serve the chowder in bowls topped with the shrimp and crumbled bacon. The trick is to get the chowder, a shrimp, and a little bacon on the spoon at the same time and take a bite. YUM-O!
My friend Carla (who wasn't at the lunch - she was out of town) had shared with me this recipe - I tried it one night and thought OMG good! I adapted it a little - the original recipe calls for peppers, which my husband doesn't like. I think I reduced the liquid a bit too (and you can even more if you want it less soupy). What I loved about it was how all the different flavors just explode in one mouth full. And it was good that most of it was prepared earlier in the day before the girls got to my house so I could wiiiiiine before lunch. (As an aside, the wine choice was Veritas Viognier - one of the best Virginia wines you will ever put in your mouth, and Virginia Viognier is the best Viognier there is. There - I said it).
Ingredients:
- 4 slices of bacon
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced (OR - use Trader Joe's frozen garlic - go get you some!)
- 3 teaspoons flour
- 2 cups of diced potatoes
- 4 ears of corn, kernals cut off (I've been buying the ones where they're already shucked)
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cream or 1/2 and 1/2
- 1 pound of raw peeled and deveined shrimp
- BBQ sauce of your liking
- Sriracha sauce (optional)
- Salt and pepper
About the potatoes - I LOVE the multi-colored fingerling potatoes. This "pack" of potatoes typically has white, red, purple, and sweet potatoes in it - they're young, tender, and the different kinds gives the chowder a wonderful flavor, I think. However, use what you want or what you have. I just think the different colored ones are fun.
After 15 minutes, the soup should be slightly thickened and the potatoes should be breaking down. Turn off the heat and add the milk. I'd start with the cream (unless you're watching calories) first - if it's soupy enough, then you're done with the liquids. If you want it a little more soupy (mine was), add the cup of milk as well. If you'd like to kick it up a notch, squirt a bit of sriracha sauce in the chowder and stir - not really enough to change or add to the flavor per se, but to just give it a little heat. Taste - add a little salt and pepper if you deem it necessary.
Serve the chowder in bowls topped with the shrimp and crumbled bacon. The trick is to get the chowder, a shrimp, and a little bacon on the spoon at the same time and take a bite. YUM-O!
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