Winter comfort chowder loaded with lobster, crabmeat, and potatoes. Elegant enough for a starter dish at a dinner party, rustic enough for a family meal.
1cupyour favorite pasta sauceplain or with Italian herbs
3lobster tails9 ounces total with the shells
1bay leaf
½tablespoonfresh thyme
1teaspoonkosher salt
1teaspoonCajun seasoningor make your own
1teaspoonground black pepper
zest of 1 navel orange
1cupcrabmeat
1cupheavy whipping cream
2tablespoonsbrandy
Coarsely chopped parsley
Instructions
Heat up the olive oil in a heavy bottomed large pot or Le Creuset (my personal favorite) over medium-high heat. Add the onion, celery, pepper, and garlic, and sauté until softened, about 10 - 15 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetable chunks.
Stir in the butter until it melts, and add the flour. Toss the vegetables in the flour, and cook for 5 minutes to cook the flour. Whisk in the wine and cook for a few minutes until it begins to thicken a bit.
Add the clam juice, corn, potatoes, tomatoes, and pasta sauce. Simmer until the potatoes are barely cooked, about 10 minutes. Add the lobster tails (in the shell), bay leaf, thyme, seasonings, orange zest, and crabmeat. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the lobster is cooked. Remove the lobster tails, cut out the meat, coarsely chop, and return to the chowder.
Stir in the whipping cream and brandy and bring to just below a simmer.
Ladle into chowder bowls, and serve immediately with a little parsley on top.
Notes
Calories were calculated using the VeryWell Fit nutrition calculator for 6 servings.