How to make a shrimp and crab chowder for your next special dinner. This restaurant-style soup is sure to amaze your guests!
At the beginning of this year, I received an invitation to participate in a Recipe Swap of sorts from Christianna of Burwell General Store. During her travels, Christianna had found an old-time hymnal and cookbook ( All-Day Singin’ and Dinner on the Ground by Albert E. Brumley) and thought it would be fun to update the older recipes and give them our own twist.
The rules of the swap are pretty simple: change three things about the original recipe while staying true to its basic premise and adding your own twist. This month’s Selection for the recipe swap was “Wild Rabbit with Vegetables.”
Now I have to tell you, the thought of eating a little fluffy bunny is not high on my list. I do understand they’re considered good eatin’ in certain parts of the world, but I’m afraid rabbit has not made its way into my repertoire.
As I looked over the recipe, it really didn’t look much different from any stew I could make, and chicken would have been the easiest substitution for the little fluffy bunny. Sigh.
But I had Shrimp and jumbo lump crab meat on hand, so rather than make a trip to the store, I decided to make my entry in this month’s swap a Seafood stew. I did have some fish pieces in the freezer, but they looked a little worse for wear, so instead of ingredients in the stew, they found their way into the stock pot with all the shrimp shells I had been saving.
This would have made a wonderful fisherman’s stew with chunks of fish and even a few clams, but without the fish, I decided to make it into a chowder. It was without a doubt a good decision, and it will be making many more appearances at our table. Feel free to recreate this dish with whatever seafood you have on hand or is available in your area.
For another seafood stew or soup recipe, be sure to try my popular cioppino recipe, it is a crowd pleaser.
Any way you make it, I’m sure it will be a hit at your table!
More Recipes You’ll Love!
Shrimp and Crab Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion medium dice
- 3-4 carrots , rough cut medium
- 6 celery stalks rough cut medium
- 2 medium potatoes rough cut medium
- 1 lb shrimp peeled, deveined, and chopped
- ½ lb crab meat ( I used jumbo lump)
- ½ lb unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- 1 Cup all purpose flour
- 2 quarts fish or chicken stock
- 1 cup heavy cream
- old bay to taste
- black pepper to taste
Instructions
- start a seafood stock with any fish pieces, or scrap, shrimp shells or fish bones you may have on hand. ( you may use clam juice instead)
- add the butter to a 4 quart sauce pan with all of the rough cut vegetables and allow to cook until they begin to soften.
- Add the flour to the vegetables and mix well, to make a roux, allow this to cook for at least 5 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste.
- add the heated stock to the roux mixture and blend well.
- add in the heavy cream and season.
- allow chowder to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
- add the chopped shrimp pieces and allow to cook in the chowder for 3-5 minutes
- Before serving add in your crab meat.
Judy
Do you have a receipt for cream of crab soup. Would appreciate having it.
Thank you so much
Chef Dennis Littley
sorry, I currently do not have one on my website.
Nicie
It looks awesome can’t wait to make it. Thank you
Stacey
I wanted to cook a hearty winter dish for my son’s 22nd birthday last week, and I had my first ever batch of homemade prawn (shrimp) stock in the freezer. I’d always wanted to try and make a chowder, and this recipe was the one I decided on.
I thought Old Bay would be hard to get in Australia so I found a recipe for a copycat blend. While looking to buy the spices I didn’t already have, I was delighted to see little tins of the real thing on the shelf, genuine Old Bay seasoning.
I made it the day before and followed the recipe exactly, except I used a stick blender to blend in the vegies just before adding the seafood, which was sweet school prawns and small chunks of ling.
I don’t have the words to describe what an amazing dish this was. So much flavour! And pretty simple to cook, really. With mostly basic ingredients, a bit of time and attention (and amazing homemade stock!), I produced a dish that I would rave about in a restaurant.
My stepdad is a man of few words, but when he enthusiastically accepted seconds, I knew it was a roaring success.
I’m looking forward to testing more of your recipes, Chef Dennis, and thanks heaps for this one!
Karen
I really enjoy your site and thanks for sharing your recipes. I am going to make your Shrimp and Crab Chowder for a ladies Christmas luncheon. Can I make the base and freeze it and add the shrimp and crab meat on the day I will be serving the chowder?
How far in advance can I make your Tiramisu recipe?
Happy Thanksgiving.
Chef Dennis Littley
Yes the chowder base can be frozen. You will more than likely have to add a little additional liquid to the soup when you heat it up. Ad for tiramisu, you can make it up to 3 days in advance.
Trish
Chef Dennis, I want to try the recipe for Christmas guests . I have never made a fish stock . Can you explain that step in more detail ? Do you mean use clam juice rather than water ? Thanks so much !
Chef Dennis Littley
hi Trish
instead of making the fish stock, you can buy clam juice and use that to make the chowder. In the grocery store they also have a product called Better than Bullion, its a soup base. I have used these and they’re actually pretty good. You could see if they have any type of seafood base at your store. They make fish and lobster base, either of which would be okay.
Trish
Thanks so much Chef! If I decide to make the fish stock , I just boil/simmer the shrimp shells in water for a short time ? Very helpful info and I so appreciate the reply !!
Chef Dennis Littley
and any other scraps of fish or fish bones you may have on hand. If the flavor isn’t strong enough I sometimes you a little chicken stock too. You don’t really taste it and it gives a sharper flavor to the soup.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
Janice
How much better than bullion should I use?
Chef Dennis Littley
you need two quarts and the directions for making the stock should be on the jar.
Pattye Meagher
Winner! I made this recipe last night for my husband and I to enjoy while watching a movie. It’s been our habit during the quarantine to have in-home date night with a special meal and a movie. I prefer scratch cooking and most of the chowder recipes I found seem to involve the opening of multiple cans. This one was right on the money. All fresh ingredients and since I live in Savannah on the Georgia coast I had access to freshly picked crab meat and wild-caught Georgia Shrimp. Since it was just the two of us I cut the recipe in half and it still made enough for two nights dinner and a third in the freezer for a work night.
I grew up in South Mississippi and New Orleans and this recipe reminded me of home. It’s now a staple in my “soup season” cookbook and will be enjoyed by our family for many years to come. I’m even planning to serve it as a first course when I cook for my family at Christmas.
Thank you, Chef Dennis!
*I substituted dry Zatarain’s Crab Boil for Old Bay. It’s a staple ingredient in so many things I cook so I used what I had. It gave the chowder just the right amount of heat without overpowering the flavor of the seafood. For a half recipe I used roughly one teaspoon. I also salted the veg while it was sautéing. Another habit from having made 10,0000 rouxs in the course of my life. 🙂
Chef Dennis Littley
I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe and that you used ingredients you had on hand and enjoy eating. That’s what cooking is all about!
Kathy
Thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes and talent. You’re great!!
Jennifef
After scouring the internet looking for the perfect chowder recipe; I came across your site. This was perfect and very straight forward on the directions. Everything came together so quickly! Which really surprised me as Im use to lots of prep. I made this for my family as well as by neighbor and received glowing feedback and was even asked to make this again. Thanks for the recipe.
Chef Dennis Littley
Thank you for the comment and great rating! I’m very happy to hear you enjoyed my chowder recipe!
Niamh
Dennis,
I have 2 crabs and I want to put them in a chowder, how do you suggest I cook them?
E.g. Cook them in boiling water before and just add the cooked crab meat at the end?
Chef Dennis Littley
I would steam the crabs and then put the cooked meat into the chowder