Smoky Seafood Chowder

Ready, Set, Cook! Special Edition Contest Entry: This is a smoky creamy seafood chowder I started making a few years ago in my restaurant, the bacon and spinach add a rockefellar twist to it. It quickly became a favorite with the locals. It also works well with oysters.

• Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 2-3 quarts

Ingredients

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 12  ounces bacon
• 1 (20 ounce) package  Simply Potatoes Diced Potatoes with Onion
•  whole green onion
• 3 (8 ounce) cans baby clams
• 1  lb fresh shrimp or 1  lb frozen shrimp
• 3  tablespoons liquid smoke
•  sea salt
•  ground black pepper
• 2  tablespoons flour
• 1  tablespoon basil
• 1  tablespoon cumin
• 2  tablespoons  Old Bay Seasoning
• 1  tablespoon dried thyme
• 1  tablespoon cayenne pepper
• 4  teaspoons  texas pete
• 2 (8 ounce) bottles  clam juice
• 1 (16 ounce) bag spinach
• 1 (8 ounce) box frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed dry)
• 1  quart half-and-half

Directions

1. Mix flour and all spices together in a bowl.
2. In deep pan fry bacon slices crisp remove and crumble in a bowl.
3. Drain off bacon grease leaving any particles in pan.
4. Add olive oil and heat on medium high scraping up any brown particles.
5. Add bag of Simply Potatoes with onions and 1/4 cup chopped green onion reserving tops for garnish.
6. When potatoes just start to brown add peeled deveined roughly chopped shrimp, cook for about 2 minutes.
7. Add bowl of spice mixture and stir for 1 minute.
8. Add back in crumbled bacon reserving some for garnish if desired.
9. Add Liquid smoke and texas pete.
10. Add whole baby clams with juice.
11. Add bottled clam juice.
12. Bring just to boil then lower heat to simmer for 5 minutes.
13. Add Spinach.
14. Slowly stir in half and half.
15. Simmer gently for 35 minutes stirring occasionaly.
16. Salt and Pepper to taste.
17. Garnish with green onion tops and crumbled bacon.