Scallop and Bacon Chowder in 30 Minutes or Less

This week on 30 minutes or less we are going to take a look at Scallop and Bacon Chowder. If you are wondering, yes, we have done a chowder here before. We did Corn Chowder in 30 Minutes or Less way back in April of last year. Since that was almost a full year ago I thought it was safe to do another one.

The chowder today is composed of bacon, onion, celery, and scallops with cream and clam juice thickened with a roux making up the base. It was absolutely delicious and I recommend it to anyone who wants to feel a bit of comfort and a bit of normalcy right now. Let's get to it.

This is...

12:15 pm - Getting Started

I started cooking at 12:15 pm. The first thing I did was turn a pot on over medium-high heat. Next up, I patted the scallops dry with a paper towel to ensure a nice even sear. With the scallops dried I pulled the adductor muscle discarded it. I put the scallop on a dry piece of paper towel just to make sure their surface was really dry.

12:17 pm - Scallops In the Pan

With the scallops dry, and adductor muscles removed, it was time to cook. I seasoned the scallops with salt and pepper, added a bit of oil into my pot and added in the scallops leaving them alone for about two minutes.

12:20 - Bacon

In the two minutes that the scallops were cooking on the first side, I cut two pieces of bacon into finger-width pieces. I flipped the scallops and cooked them for one more minute.

12:21 - Cook the Bacon

Once the scallops had seared on both sides I removed them from the pan and added in the bacon. While the bacon was cooking, I minced a celery stalk and half an onion.

12:24 pm - Vegetables In

After a few minutes, the bacon was mostly cooked so I added in the celery and onion. Then, I moved on to peeling and dicing two potatoes.

12:26 - Roux

I cooked the celery and onion for about two minutes before adding in two tablespoons each of butter, and flour. The better went in first was left to melt, and then I stirred in the flour. This made a roux which thickens the chowder.

12:28 pm - Clam Juice

With the flour and butter combined it was time to add in some liquid. I chose to use clam juice to give the chowder a more seafood forward flavour. You can use water or even chicken stock if you would prefer. I added the clam juice in and gave everything a stir and let the mixture come to a boil.

12:30 pm - Potatoes In

Once the clam juice started to boil, I added in the diced potato, brought the liquid back to the boil, then turned the heat down to a simmer. I let the chowder base cook for about ten minutes or until the vegetables were tender.

12:31 pm - Parsley

While the chowder was cooking I took the opportunity to cut some fresh parsley.

12:34 pm - Cut Scallops

I also cut my scallops into quarters to stretch them a little bit further in the chowder.

12:40 pm - Cream in

After the chowder base had been cooking for about ten minutes and the vegetables were cooked through I added in the cream and brought it back to a boil tasted it and adjusted the seasoning with salt and pepper.

12:42 pm - Finish the chowder

Once the cream was boiling and the seasoning was where I wanted it, I added in the scallops and the parsley, took the pot off the heat, and served.

Conclusion

The world is obviously a little crazy at the moment. We are social distancing, and self-isolating, and preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. It can be a bit scary, and it can feel a bit lonely. A dish like this isn't going to cure anything, but it will for at least a few minutes make you feel like everything is okay.

Good luck everyone and stay safe.