Creamy Diver Scallop Chowder Recipe: Chef Tips and Flavorful Variations
Creamy Diver Scallop Chowder Recipe: Chef Tips and Flavorful Variations
Diver scallop chowder is a New England-style cream chowder built around the same principles as clam chowder — rendered pork fat as the base flavor, a sofrito of aromatics, starchy potato for body, and a cream-enriched broth — but with scallops replacing clams. The key differences in execution: scallops cook faster than clams and require less time in the hot broth, and their natural sweetness means the broth benefits from more acid balance (white wine, lemon) than a clam chowder. This recipe builds the chowder correctly and adds the scallops at the end, off heat, where the residual temperature cooks them without overcooking.
Ingredients
1 lb dry-packed diver scallops — 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced — 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced — 2 stalks celery, diced — 2 cloves garlic, minced — 1/2 cup dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc or unoaked Chardonnay) — 2 large Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes — 2 cups seafood stock (preferred) or chicken stock — 1 cup heavy cream — 1 cup whole milk — 2 tbsp unsalted butter — 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves — 1 bay leaf — kosher salt and white pepper — lemon zest and fresh chives for garnish.
Note on stock: Seafood stock (made from shrimp shells, fish bones, or a commercial seafood base) adds depth and reinforces the scallop flavor in a way chicken stock cannot. If using chicken stock, a splash of clam juice added with the stock compensates significantly.
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Instructions
1. Render the bacon. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the diced bacon until crispy and the fat is fully rendered, 6–8 minutes. Remove bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the rendered fat in the pot.
2. Build the sofrito. Add butter to the bacon fat. Sauté onion and celery over medium heat until soft and translucent, 5–6 minutes. Add garlic; cook 60 seconds until fragrant. Do not brown the aromatics — this is a white chowder; color from the sofrito will muddy the broth.
3. Deglaze with white wine. Add the white wine; scrape up any fond from the bottom of the pot. Reduce by half, about 2 minutes. This step adds acidity that balances the cream and deepens the broth flavor.
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4. Add potatoes and stock. Add potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Pour in stock — potatoes should be just submerged. Bring to a simmer; cook 15–18 minutes until potatoes are completely fork-tender. Remove bay leaf.
5. Optional partial blend. For a thicker, more velvety chowder, use an immersion blender to blend approximately one-third of the soup directly in the pot. This releases potato starch into the broth without the need for flour or cornstarch. Leave the remaining two-thirds chunky.
6. Add cream and milk; bring to a bare simmer. Stir in cream and milk. Heat gently over medium-low until the chowder just begins to steam and barely simmer — do not boil, as boiling breaks the cream. Season with kosher salt and white pepper (white pepper is traditional in chowder and doesn’t add black flecks to the white broth).
7. Add scallops off heat. Remove the pot from heat entirely. Pat scallops dry; remove side muscle; fold them into the hot chowder. Cover the pot and let steep 3–4 minutes — the residual heat of the chowder will cook the scallops to the correct doneness without overcooking them. Check one scallop: it should be opaque on the outside with a slightly translucent center. If the chowder has cooled too much, return briefly to the lowest heat setting for 60–90 seconds, then remove again.
8. Serve immediately. Ladle into warm bowls. Garnish with the reserved crispy bacon, lemon zest, fresh chives, and a crack of black pepper. Serve with oyster crackers or crusty sourdough.
Variations
Smoked scallop variation: Stir in 2–3 oz of flaked Smoked Weathervane Scallops along with the fresh scallops. The smoked scallop adds a complexity and depth to the broth that reads as more developed without additional cooking time. This is an easy way to elevate the chowder significantly with a pantry-ready ingredient.
Corn and scallop chowder: Add 1 cup of fresh or frozen corn kernels with the potatoes. The sweetness of corn is a natural match for scallops. For peak summer corn, char the kernels briefly in a dry skillet before adding.
Lighter version: Replace heavy cream with half-and-half and use clam juice in place of half the stock. The chowder will be thinner but cleaner-flavored, letting the scallop come forward more.
Pairing
Wine: White Burgundy (Chardonnay) or a Muscadet Sevre et Maine (the traditional Breton match for cream-based seafood soups). Avoid high-acid Sauvignon Blanc — the cream moderates the acid you’d want for raw scallop preparations, and a richer white holds up better here. Non-alcoholic: Sparkling water with lemon or a light apple cider (traditional to New England chowder pairing). Bread: Sourdough, oyster crackers, or a fresh baguette.
For more seafood recipes, subscribe to the Global Seafoods YouTube Channel. For premium dry-packed scallops:
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