Lobster Chowder

Sweet lobster meat, sweet corn and potatoes from the farmstand, cream, and smoky bacon are the classic foundations of any New England chowder, and lobster chowder reigns supreme. Now that’s summer in New England.

Lobster Chowder Lobster Chowder

By: Sally Pasley Vargas, Boston Globe

Serves 6

Lobster & Lobster Stock Ingredients:

  • Salt (for the cooking water)
  • 3 (1½ pounds each) lobsters 
  • ½ large leek, green part only, sliced
  • 2 stalks celery sliced
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 8 cups water
  • Salt, to taste

Lobster & Lobster Stock Directions:

  1. Bring a 12-quart pot of water to a boil. Season it liberally with salt (it should taste like sea water). Grasp the lobsters where the tail meets the body and drop them head first into the water. Clap on the lid and start timing. When the water returns to a boil, remove the lid and adjust the heat to a steady boil. Cook for a total of 15 minutes from the time you drop the lobsters into the pot. With tongs, transfer the lobsters to a rimmed baking sheet to cool.
  2. When cool enough to handle, separate the claws from the bodies, and the bodies from the tails. Using lobster crackers, a nutcracker, or a mallet, crack the shells and remove the meat. Place the bodies and empty shells into a large soup pot as you work. Cut large pieces of meat into bite size pieces. Transfer the meat to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until ready to make the chowder.
  3. To the pot of shells, add the sliced green part of the leek, the celery, the wine, and the water. Over high heat, bring the liquid to a boil. Decrease the heat to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes. Strain the broth into a bowl. Discard the shells, leeks, and celery.

Chowder Ingredients:

  • 5 slices (about 4 ounces) thick-cut bacon, cut into small dice
  • ½ leek, white part only, thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks celery, cut into small dice
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 3 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice
  • 8 to 9 cups lobster stock (see above)
  • Kernels from 3 ears of cooked corn
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Chowder Directions:

  1. Rinse and wipe out the soup pot. Add the bacon, and cook over medium heat, stirring, for 3 minutes, or until the fat renders and the bacon begins to crisp. Add the white part of the leek, the celery, and pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 3 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and lobster stock, and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
  2. Add the corn kernels, lobster meat, and cream to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 minutes, or until the chowder is hot all the way through. Stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Taste, and add salt, and more pepper and lemon juice, if you like.