I got a new ‘toy’ in the kitchen to play with.  A tasty broth base to be exact.  In thinking about ‘what else would be good in here’ I also was wondering what I could do with some clam meat I had.  While taking inventory in my freezer I saw I had a few nice large scallops.  In the next moments I was thinking I could make a variation of the Hot Pot I’ve recently come to enjoy.

So I built my ingredient base and went about seeing how it’d turn out.

How’d It Go

I’d make this again.  Easy.  Adding in some clam stock made this for me.  As I can’t enjoy Clam Chowder but on the rarest of occasions [i.e. when I feel motivated to make my own], this comes close.  In fact, I dare say that even if I didn’t have any way to get some clam meat..using a cup of clam stock still makes this a tasty dish.

Prep time: Most of the ingredients I used were frozen, so thawing them overnight or under cold water along with chopping the veggies is the most prep needing to be done.  If you’re using fresh shrimp, or clams still in the shell, prepping those will be more than a few minutes.

What you may not have handy: Scallops, clams, shrimp, clam & seafood stock, chard, celery and the spices.

Budget: scallops, clams, shrimp,   and if you have to get the spices , those will be the high dollar items for you.  Spice wise, if it’s not something you use regularly, try for the smaller container or buy in bulk where you can.

What I Used

I use Butterball’s Turkey Smoked sausage when I need a healthy alternative for smoked sausage [which is honestly, every time].  I’ve found it versatile and it adds that hint of smoke flavor when that’s what I’m looking for.

For stocks, I use Kitchen Basics.  When I have seafood in the mix, I like using seafood stock and their line is extremely diverse. Also, they make 1 cup quantities as well as the usual 4 cup offerings which is perfect when you know you don’t need 4 cups of stock and face not being able to use it up before it goes bad.  They make clam stock in those 1 cup quantities.

I experimented with a mix of the red and green chard, mainly to appeal to my eye with the color variation [the more colorful, the more appetizing a dish is usually for me].

Also, I had some clam meat already harvested from the shells [frozen], that I wanted to do something with, so I used that.  Though getting a couple of fresh live clams to steam would be best.  Remember to debeard them, toss any that won’t close when tapped, and after steaming, toss any that didn’t open.

What I’d Do Differently Next Time

When I can have potatoes..I’d add some cubed pieces in there and see where that gets me.  And as mentioned before…I’d use fresh clams to steam.

Options to consider:

Use seafood chowders to draw inspiration from for flavors that go well with each other.

As with all recipes…the variations are limited by your personal tastes.

Green onions and thinly sliced mushrooms.   Just add these towards the end since they won’t take long to cook

Seafood Chowder Hot Pot   Print This Post

I started with Heidi’s Chick Pea Hot Pot, then derived the soup base that I like to use from that.

Ingredients [Soup Base]

• 4 cups seafood stock [I've made it with Chicken and Veggie stock as well]
• 1 cup Clam Stock [if you choose to use clams]
• 1 14-ounce can of chopped tomato [fresh is always an option if you can get ripe ones]
• 1/2 tsp Cumin
• 1/2 tsp Cardamom
• 1/2 tsp Ground Coriander seed
• 1/4 tsp Garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp celery seed
• 2 pinches ground black pepper
• dash of dill

Ingredients [Hot Pot]

• 1 cup water [for sauteing]
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped or sliced
• 1/2-1 cup diced celery
• a splash of olive oil [or a non fat olive oil/canola oil spray]
• a couple pinches of salt
• 1 sm green or red bell pepper, chopped  [color of your choice]
• 8-10 oz sliced mushrooms
• 2 oz  Turkey Smoked Sausage, sliced on the bias
• 16 oz large shrimp, peeled, deveined.
• 6-7 large scallops, halved
• 4 oz of clam meat*
• 2 cups Chard, deveined  cut into ribbons or torn into med pieces

NOTE: the amount of scallops and clam meat is purely up to your tastes.  If you don’t want clam meat or only a little, opt for just using clam stock to get that flavor.  You can also get a handful of fresh clams to steam.  In fact, after having this, that’d be the way I’d go next time.

Instructions

1. In a deep pot or saute pan if you’re transferring, render what fat is present from the meat for a few minutes.  Add water if they start to stick to the pan bottom to saute them.
2. Add onions, celery,  olive oil or use a spray to lightly coat and saute until the point of carmelization
3. Add peppers, [and mushrooms if they're aren't thinly sliced]saute until the peppers brighten [the color brightens indicating they're tender crisp]
4. Add stock, spices and tomatoes.  Stir to combine.
5. Add chard in phases [unless your pot is deep enough to handle it].   Cover and let simmer until it wilts into soup
6. Add clams and scallops, cook until scallops are no longer translucent
7. Add shrimp [they won't take long] and mushrooms if you used thinly sliced ones
8. Simmer until shrimp are cooked through.
9. Cool before storing.