Shrimp & Corn Chowder With Fennel

This is a rich soup so if you're being careful with your nutrition you'll need to plan for this little indulgence. If you're eating Paleo, you can stop reading now. This soup gets much of its good sea food flavor flavor from the clam juice and the lemon juice gives it a nice tang at the end.

I found this recipe in Real Simple magazine. I've mentioned Real Simple a couple of times before. Naturally I really like the magazine for its recipes and other food and equipment tips but it has other features too. But it has a real female focus that gets old after awhile. It would be good if they did a male segment every now and then.

A couple of prep tips before getting started. When using leeks be sure you get all the dirt out when washing them. I have found that splitting them lengthwise is most effective at this without peeling away too many layers. You'll be surprised at how much dirt is hiding in there. I use Half & Half instead of the whole milk called for in the magazine's version of the recipe. If you want to cut down on some fat and calories go for the whole milk. The original recipe calls for cooked shrimp but I use uncooked because the shrimp cook very quickly and if the soup is likely to be reheated even once the shrimp will get overcooked and end up too chewy and tough. Rather than frozen corn use either corn right off the cob or Trader Joe's Canned Corn. TJ's corn is amazingly good, the best canned corn you'll ever find and better than most frozen corn. Don't skimp on the lemon juice, it adds a real good tang with out having to add salt.

This recipe yields 4 good size servings.

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons of butter
2 leeks, white and light green parts, chopped (see prep tips above)
1 fennel bulb, chopped
kosher salt and black pepper
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
1 8-ounce bottle of clam juice
3 cups of half & half
1 pound of yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 pound of uncooked peeled and deveined shrimp
1 can of Trader Joe's canned yellow corn
2 stalks of celery, sliced into 1/4 inch pieces
2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons of fresh lemons juice, more to taste if desired
Garnish: bacon bits for topping

METHOD

1. Heat the butter in a large soup pot or dutch oven over medium heat
2. Add the leeks and fennel, season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes
4. Stir in the flour
5. Add the clam juice, half & half, and potatoes
6. Turn up the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil
7. Quickly reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 12 minutes
8. Stir in the shrimp, corn, and celery
9. Cook another 3-5 minutes, until the potatoes are firm but still tender and the shrimp are just finished cooking
10. Stir in the cilantro and lemon juice
11. Serve with bread and bacon bits if desired.