Being raised near the ocean means that I crave seafood almost all the time. Living in Eugene we get access to fresh seafood fairly regularly. Recently I read an article about shrimp which said that soon there will be no wild shrimp left so when I got the opportunity to purchase this wild-caught shrimp I went for it. I used it to make this wonderful Cajun Seafood Chowder. Try it and let me know what you think.

Heat a medium pot and add 2 Tb butter and 2 Tb olive oil then throw in and saute:

1/2 lb Chorizo sausage links cut into chunks

1/2 lg. onion diced

2 Tb crushed garlic

1 c chopped celery

1 c carrots sliced

Now add:

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tsp garlic granules

1 tsp onion powder

2 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/2 Tb black pepper

1 Tb cajun spice (Frontier brand)

Stir in 4 Tb flour to make a roux, then add:

1 qt. chicken broth

1/2 a bottle of IPA beer (or any blonde or wheat beer)

1 can baby clams with juice

1.5 c good lump crab meat (not the cheap Starkest

1 nice size fillet of white fish cut into cubes (about 2 cups)

1 – 2 cups cleaned and deveined raw shrimp

3 dashes of Tobasco sauce

Bring to a boil then lower temperature and simmer for 3 minutes until shrimp start to turn pink. Do not overcook or shrimp will get rubbery. Add 1 qt of whole milk and bring back up to temp. Do Not boil or milk will curdle. Serve with crusty bread