Welcome to the Carolina Cuisine Network, home of Southern cooking recipes for beginner cooks written to serve two and easily doubled!

Ingredients

• 4 Bacon slices, applewood smoked or turkey bacon diced into 1/2-inch pieces. Omit this ingredient for meatless recipe.
• 10 oz Shrimp, raw, small, peeled & deveined or a can of baby salad shrimp, drained and liquid reserved
• 4-6 Oysters, fresh single selects or canned and drained (if desired)
• 1 Cup Yukon Gold Potatoes, small diced
• 1 Cup Sweet Corn (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 Cup Onion, finely diced white or Vidalia variety
• 2 Stalks Celery, washed and sliced thinly
• 1 Clove Garlic, minced
• 2 Cups Broth, vegetable
• 3/4 cup Heavy Cream or dairy-free milk
• 1 Tablespoon Margarine
• 1/4 Teaspoon Paprika, smoked or Hungarian style
• Salt & black pepper to taste
• 1 Teaspoon Old Bay seafood seasoning
• 1/2 Teaspoon Tumeric
• Parsley and/or green onions chopped for garnish

Directions

1. Cook the Bacon:
   In a medium pot, cook diced smoked bacon over medium heat until crispy. Transfer bacon to a paper towel–lined plate, leaving 1–2 teaspoons of the rendered fat in the pot.
2. Sauté Vegetables: Add margarine to the pot. Stir in onion, celery, and half the corn. Cook 4-5 minutes until softened. Add garlic and paprika; cook 1 minute.
3. Build the Chowder Base: Add 3 cups of broth and any reserved shrimp juices and stir to combine. Use a stick blender or transfer to a pitcher-style blender. Pulse a few times, return to the pot. Add potatoes, seasonings, stir and heat on low. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15 minutes.
4. Add Corn & Cream: Stir in sweet corn and heavy cream or “milk” used. Simmer gently 3–4 minutes (do not boil).
5. Cook Seafood: Add shrimp, remainder corn, and oysters if using. Cook 3-5 minutes until shrimp are pink and opaque, stirring gently.
6. Garnish and Serve: Garnish the chowder by seasoning to taste with salt or Old Bay seasoning and black pepper. Ladle into two bowls and top generously with crispy smoked bacon and optional parsley or green onions. Serve immediately with cornbread, hushpuppies or crackers and enjoy!

Notes

Yukon Gold potatoes hold their shape beautifully and add natural creaminess. They can be peeled but it’s not necessary. Vegetable broth keeps soup base light, so the seafood flavor shines through.

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