Saturday, December 28, 2019

Scallop, Bacon and Corn Chowder - One Pot Meal

I recently was exploring my cookbook entitled "Real Simple - Meals made Easy" by Renee Schettler and rediscovered this great chowder - good for a crowd or for a more intimate cold night with your sweety. This is about 25 minutes of hands-on time for a total prep time of 1 hour.

This recipe is for 4 people.

Ingredients:
5 slices of thick-cut bacon with pepper on edges
1 1/2 pounds big ski scallops (about 16)
3/4 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 small yellow onion, thickly sliced into half-moons
1/2 pound Yukon gold potatoes, cut into 1/2" pieces - peel if you like or wash the potato well and leave the peel on
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
4 TBSP sour cream (optional)
1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh (from 2 ears)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Optional Ingredients:
Super crusty country bread

Directions:
in a large, deep skillet, fry up the bacon. Don't do this part in the microwave - the key here is to gather up the bacon fat from the cooking. Don' t cook the bacon so hot that ethe fatr begins to burn, but crisp up the thick strips and set aside on some paper towel when cooked, leaving the fat in the pan.

While the bacon is cooking chop up the onion, wash and chop up the potato. prepare the corn - no need to defrost if frozen. measure out the wine, have a sip.

Rinse the scallops and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the bacon strips are out of the pan, drop the scallops in - careful not to spatter your dress-up clothes.  Don't crowd the scallops. do in batches if need be.  Cook until both flat sides are golden brown, about 2-4 minutes per side. No need to worry about cooking all the way through.  Transfer the cooked scallops to a plate using a slotted spoon or tongs.  Leave the liquid in the pan.

Now, drop the prepared onion into the pan full of remaining bacon drippings and scallop juice. Cook on lower heat until softened.  turn as required for even cooking.

Now, add in the potatoes, wine, chicken broth,  and creams. stir until sauce is smooth. Bring it to a simmer. Cover partially, and continue to simmer until potatoes are tender - about 20 minutes.

Now, add in the corn and the scallops and continue to cook for about 4 minutes. For this last cooking, segment warm the bowls over the woodstove, or fill them with boiling water. Before serving drain hot water out of the bowls.

To Serve:
Ladle into warmed bowls, and sprinkle with the crumbled bacon and chopped parsley. Place some sliced bread on a plate next to each bowl.