Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 2 celery ribs, thinly sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup dry sherry
• 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 3 1/2 cups canned tomatoes, drained and chopped,liquid reserved
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
• 1 1/2 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 12 ounces bay scallops
• 6 ounces lump crabmeat or imitation crabmeat, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions

1. 1

   Heat butter in saucepan; add carrot, celery, bell pepper, parsley, and garlic, saute until onions are tender, about 5 minutes.

2. 2

   Add sherry to the pan and cook off most off the alcohol, deglazing the bottom of the pan as you go.

3. 3

   Pour in broth and add potatoes, and bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 12-14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes start to get tender.

4. 4

   Add tomatoes, bay leaf, paprika, chili powder, celery seed, pepper, thyme and cayenne; cover and simmer another 20 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.

5. 5

   Stir in shrimp, scallops and crab, and cook until shrimp curl and turn bright pink and scallops turn opaque, and chowder is heated through, about 3 minutes.

6. 6

   Stir in 1/4 cup parsley.

7. 7

   Serve with crusty loaves of Italian or French bread and herb butter, if you desire.