Bab’s New England Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 2 slices bacon, cut into small pieces
• 1 large sweet onion (such as Vidalia), diced
• 4 celery ribs, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay)
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups diced new potatoes
• 1 quart seafood stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 (12 fluid ounce) cans evaporated milk
• 2 pounds cod fillets, cut into chunks
• 1 pound bay scallops
• 1 pound chopped fresh clam meat
• 1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook and stir bacon in melted butter until crisp, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel, reserving drippings in the pot. Add onion and celery to the reserved drippings; cook and stir until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.

Stir garlic, thyme, pepper, seafood seasoning, and paprika into the onion mixture. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir; cook for 2 minutes. Fold potatoes into the mixture. Pour seafood stock over the mixture. Add bay leaves. Bring the stock to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and the liquid thickens to your liking, 20 to 30 minutes.

Stir evaporated milk into the simmering stock; add cod, bay scallops, clam meat, and shrimp. Continue cooking the mixture at a simmer until the seafood is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley to serve.