This spicy shrimp and clam tomato chowder is heavy on the seafood flavor (in the best way), with a homemade shrimp stock, lots of garlic, and plenty of clam juice.
Good stuff in every bite. This spicy shrimp and clam tomato chowder is the easy red chowder you’ve been waiting for.
Using a mix of whole and chopped clams and shrimp ensures that each spoonful will overflow with meat. No digging around only to turn up empty-handed. It’s the only way I like my chowder to be.
What you need
- Homemade shrimp stock: You’ll need the reserved shells from your shrimp along with onion, garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, salt, and water.
- Chowder vegetables: You’ll need onion, celery, jalapeño, red bell pepper, tomato paste, and russet potatoes.
- Shrimp and clams: I recommend using a can of whole clams and a can of chopped clams. Use large shrimp and chop half of them to get the best dispersion of seafood throughout the chowder.
- Finishing touches: Lemon juice and oyster crackers are a must!
How to make it
Step 1: Prep the shrimp and start the stock.
Peel and devein your shrimp. Roughly chop half of them and leave the other half whole. Place the shrimp shells and stock aromatics in a large pot and cover with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer. Scoop out the garlic before straining the stock into a bowl and discarding the rest of the solids. Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, pop the cloves from the paper and mash them into a paste.
Step 2: Make your chowder.
Start by sautéing all your aromatics. Add the garlic paste and tomato paste before adding the potatoes and pouring the homemade shrimp stock on top. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Step 3: Finish the chowder.
Once the potatoes are fork-tender, add the canned clams and their juice along with the shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp are cooked through and finish with lemon juice.
Step 4: Serve it up!
Spoon the chowder into bowls and finish with oyster crackers, of course!
Spicy Shrimp and Clam Tomato Chowder
Equipment
Ingredients
Shrimp stock:
- 1 pound large shrimp
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and quartered)
- 1 head garlic (top cut off to expose the cloves)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
Chowder:
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion (peeled and diced)
- 2 ribs celery (trimmed and diced)
- 1 jalapeño (trimmed and diced)
- 1 red bell pepper (trimmed, seeded, and diced)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 pound russet potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 1 (10-ounce) can whole baby clams
- 1 (6.5-ounce) can chopped clams
- 1 lemon (juiced)
- Kosher salt to taste
- Black pepper to taste
- Crushed red pepper (to taste)
For serving:
Instructions
Prepare the shrimp:
- Peel and devein the shrimp. Roughly chop half the shrimp and leave the remaining half whole. Transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate until needed. Reserve the shrimp shells.
Make the shrimp stock:
- Place the reserved shrimp shells, onion, head of garlic, bay leaves, kosher salt, and black peppercorns in a large pot. Cover with 10 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Scoop out the garlic and transfer to a small bowl. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve and discard the solids. Wipe out the pot and return it to the stove.
- Once the garlic is cool enough to handle, carefully pop out the cloves and mash into a paste. Set aside.
Make the chowder:
- Heat 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil in the pot over medium heat. Add the diced onion, celery, jalapeño, and red bell pepper. Season lightly with salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper for extra heat, if desired. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes until the aromatics begin to soften.
- Add the reserved garlic paste and the tomato paste to the pot. Stir until the vegetables are evenly coated. Sauté for 1 minute, until the tomato paste deepens in color. Add the diced potatoes and season lightly with salt. Add the reserved shrimp stock to the pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
Finish the chowder:
- Add both cans of clams, including the liquid, and the shrimp. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 6 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked through. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and season with additional salt and black pepper as needed. Remove from heat.
To serve:
- Ladle the chowder into bowls and serve with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and oyster crackers. Enjoy!
