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I made some rockin’ seafood chowder last night, and I didn’t need a lot of special ingredients to make it.  It’s true I had a few things hanging around that I normally don’t, but it was really good and cheap.  Here’s what I did.

In two tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of butter, saute a quarter cup of chopped, smoked bacon.  When the bacon’s almost fully rendered, add a half cup each of chopped onion and celery, and a couple teaspoons of chopped garlic.  Season lightly with salt and pepper, and also add in an eighth teaspoon of cayenne and a quarter teaspoon of dried thyme.  When the vegetables are golden and soft, sprinkle a quarter cup of flour in and whisk for a few minutes to make a medium roux.  Still whisking, pour in a bottle of clam juice, a quart of water, a small can of PLAIN tomato sauce, and a quarter cup of sweet vermouth.  Your pot contents should be smooth and slightly thickened.  Lower heat to medium.  Dice two large potatoes and add them to the pot.  Stir it well, put a lid on, and let it simmer for twenty minutes to cook the potatoes.  Add in a pint of light cream, a drained can of baby shrimp, and a drained can of white crab (the cheaper stuff, not lump).  I happened to have a handful of scallops in the freezer, so I thawed those and added them as well.  I’m thinking that some canned chopped clams wouldn’t have hurt, either.  When the scallops were done (this took just a few minutes), I added some chopped parsley for freshness and color, tasted for seasoning, and added some more salt.  I turned off the heat and let the pot sit on the store for an hour for the flavors to blend, and just put the heat back on low fifteen minutes before dinner. 

The finished chowder had a pretty pink color, with a lovely balance of flavors.  The smokiness of the bacon was offset by the slight acid of the tomato sauce, with the sweetness of cream and vermouth holding up the seafood.  It was super yummy, the flavor was deep, rich, and interesting.  It was just the ticket on a chilly autumn night.

I’m figuring the whole pot cost about seven bucks to make.  My husband and I each ate two bowls, and we’ll easily get another dinner out of the leftovers.  With crusty wholegrain rolls and a spring mix salad, it was a warming, satisfying dinner that was not at all heavy.