Ingredients:

  • 4 oz thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 3 cups sweet corn
  • 3 cups seafood stock
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 lb cod, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1/2 lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Instructions:

  1. Render the diced bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp and golden. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon but leave the fat in the pot. Note: This fat is the flavor engine for the whole dish.
  2. Add butter, onion, and celery to the bacon fat. Sauté until the vegetables are translucent, which usually takes about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and smoked paprika, cooking for 60 seconds until you smell that warm, smoky aroma.
  3. Stir in the cubed potatoes and corn, tossing them to coat in the flavored fat. Pour in the seafood stock and add the bay leaf.
  4. Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes until the potatoes are fork tender but not falling apart.
  5. Stir in the heavy cream, stirring gently to combine.
  6. Gently fold in the cod chunks and shrimp. Let them poach in the simmering liquid for 3-5 minutes until the shrimp turn pink and the fish is opaque. Note: Do not let the soup reach a rolling boil now, or the cream might separate.
  7. Remove the bay leaf. Stir in the fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley.
  8. Season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste. Taste it first! The bacon and stock are already salty, so you might not need much.