30-60 min6 servingsAlexis Mersel

Smoky Seafood Chowder

By Alexis Mersel

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6 servings

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30-60 min

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Medium

Smoky Seafood Chowder
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Recipe Details

Course: Main Dishes

Difficulty: Medium

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 23 min

Total Time: 30-60 min

Cooking Technique: Pressure Cook, Sauté

Cuisine: American

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 slices thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 ribs celery
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 1 lb Yukon gold potatoes
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 lbs fresh clams
  • 1/2 cup Water
  • 1 lb thick white fish, such as halibut or cod
  • 1 1/2 cups frozen or fresh corn kernels
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 lb hot-smoked salmon
  • 1/2 lb medium shrimp
  • Chopped chives and crusty bread
A hearty chowder is as delicious on a warm summer afternoon paired with a glass of rosé as it is on a chilly fall night served with a pint of beer. Tuck in with a slice of crusty bread for the ultimate seafood-lover’s meal. If you’d like to leave out the bacon, cook the onion and celery in 2 tablespoons of canola oil instead—keep in mind that the overall flavor will be slightly less smoky and rich but still wonderfully delicious.

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Select Sauté on the Instant Pot® and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon is crispy and almost all the fat has rendered, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate. Add the onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon and scraping up any browned bits, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of the wine and cook for 1 minute. Press the Cancel button to reset the program.
  2. Add the potatoes, bacon, stock, and 1 teaspoon salt to the pot. Lock the lid in place and turn the valve to Sealing. Press the Pressure Cook button and set the cook time for 7 minutes at high pressure.
  3. Meanwhile, arrange the clams in a single layer in a medium sauté pan and pour in the remaining 1/2 cup wine and the water. Place over medium-low heat, cover, and steam until the clams open, 5–10 minutes. Drain the liquid and discard any clams that failed to open. Set aside.
  4. Let the steam release naturally for 15 minutes, then turn the valve to Venting to quick-release any residual steam. Press the Cancel button to reset the program. Carefully remove the lid and press the Sauté button. Add the fish and corn and bring the broth to a simmer. Add the cream and simmer until well combined, about 3 minutes. Press the Cancel button to reset the program.
  5. Add the salmon, cooked clams, and shrimp, and let cook in the hot broth until the shrimp are pink, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
  6. To serve, ladle the chowder into bowls, top with chives and freshly ground black pepper, and accompany with slices of crusty bread.

About the chef

Alexis Mersel

Alexis Mersel

Alexis Mersel is an author, baker, and recovering corporate executive who lives in Columbus, Ohio with her husband, daughter, and giant cookbook collection. When she's not cooking in or writing about her Instant Pot (she has authored 3 cookbooks on this subject and another on the air fryer), she is in the kitchen making sourdough bread, which she fell in love with first when studying at Ballymaloe Cookery School in Ireland and again when she returned stateside to her then-home in San Francisco. Read more about Alexis's cooking and travel adventures at: whatisinmypurse.com

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