Chef John's Bay Scallop Chowder

Ingredients

• olive oil (2 teaspoons)
• bacon (2 slices)
• yellow onion (0.5 )
• celery (1 rib)
• garlic (2 cloves)
• clam juice (1 (8 ounce) bottle)
• low-sodium chicken broth (1 cup)
• cubed Yukon Gold potatoes (1 cup)
• cayenne pepper (1 pinch)
• black pepper (0 )
• heavy whipping cream (0.5 cup)
• red Fresno chile pepper (1 )
• lemon zest (1 teaspoon)
• salt (0 )
• bay scallops (1 pound)
• chopped fresh tarragon (1 tablespoon)

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir until fat renders and bacon is slightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add onion to bacon; cook and stir until soft and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir celery and garlic into onion mixture, cook until fragrant, 1 minute.
2. Pour clam juice, chicken broth, potato, cayenne pepper, and black pepper into bacon mixture; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium low, and cook until potatoes are almost tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Stir cream and chile pepper into potato mixture; bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are completely tender and chowder flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Season with lemon zest and salt.
3. Stir scallops into chowder and cook over medium heat until scallops are tender and white, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in tarragon.

Nutrition

(*Nutrition data is approximate and may vary depending on the brand and type of ingredients used.)

• kcal: 300
• fat: 11 g
• sats: 5 g
• carbs: 17 g
• fibre: 2 g
• protein: 33 g
• salt: 0 g