Recipe courtesy of Chef Bo Hamilton, Ox Kitchen in Fairhope
2 tablespoons butter
4 slices raw bacon, chopped
2 1/2 cups onion, diced
2 cups celery, diced
1 cup leeks, diced
1 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup garlic puree
1/2 cup green onion, chopped; separate white ends from green ends
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 cups seafood stock
2 1/2 cups water
4 1/2 cups fresh sweet corn (cut from 4 ears)
4 large red potatoes, skin on, diced
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon smoked paprika, plus pinch for garnish
2 cups heavy cream
3 pounds fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
1. In a large pot, add butter and bacon. Cook until bacon is brown, and then add vegetables, including the white part of the green onion, cooking until veggies are soft and translucent. Add flour.
2. Combine chicken and seafood stocks in a container. Add 1 cup at a time to the bacon and vegetable pot, stirring with each added cup until smooth.
3. Cook until thickened, thinning with water as needed.
4. Add corn, potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, Old Bay and paprika. Cook on medium-low for 1 hour, then add salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Add cream and cook for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, add shrimp and cook for 5 minutes.
6. Garnish with tops of green onion and paprika. Serve.Â
