Smokey Shrimp, Corn and Sweet Potato Chowder

For the chowder:

1. Dice up your bacon and cook in a large heavy soup pot over med-high heat until fat has rendered and bacon is crisp. Remove bacon from pan with slotted spoon to paper towel.
2. There should be about 2-3 tbsp rendered bacon fat in the bottom of your pot. If there is less, add a bit of vegetable or olive oil to top it up. Turn heat down to low-medium. Add the diced onion and celery and cook until translucent, 4-5 minutes Add in sweet potato, stir and cover. Cook for 6-7 minutes or until sweet potato is starting to soften. Add thyme and spices and cook for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add in flour and cook, stirring constantly,for another minute. Pour in stock and milk and bring to a gentle simmer, whisking constantly. It should start to thicken. Pour in the corn kernels. Simmer for 8-10 minutes or until it’s thick and creamy. If it’s too thick, add in some more milk or stock to thin it out. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed.

For the shrimp:

1. While soup simmers and thickens, toss your peeled and de-veined shrimp with the spices. Let rest for 2 minutes. Add vegetable oil to a pan over med-high heat and cook shrimp, one layer at a time, for 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through and starting to curl and turn golden brown.
2. At this point, you can leave shrimp whole to top the soup or cut into bite-sized chunks and toss into soup. Top with bacon bits, fresh ground pepper and thyme leaves. Ladle into mugs and enjoy!