thick and creamy lobster chowder

Creamy lobster chowder is packed with fresh lobster and bites of waxy potatoes for the most decadent spin on homemade chowder. If you have time, don’t skip the lobster stock!

Lobster chowder is a decadent spin on your everyday seafood chowder. We start with two fresh lobsters, waxy potatoes, cream and your favorite lobster stock, and we end up with a luxurious, creamy, flavor-packed soup.

Serve this chowder in a bread bowl to really step it up, or even just a tear of a crusty baguette. But don’t skip a stony, briny, tart white wine-- like a really great Sancerre or Muscadet-- this lobster chowder deserves the best! 

what you need to make lobster chowder:

• Lobsters
• Bacon
• Celery
• Onion
• Garlic
• Red potatoes
• Butter
• Olive oil
• White wine
• Flour
• Milk
• Cream
• Lobster stock
• Herbs (bay leaf, chives)

how to make lobster chowder:

1. Cook lobster (I prefer to steam them)
2. Remove meat, make lobster stock
3. Cook bacon, set it aside to crisp
4. Sauté vegetables
5. Add wine, reduce
6. Stir in flour, milk, cream, lobster stock and herbs
7. Cook to thicken
8. Add potatoes and cook until tender
9. Stir in lobster, heat through
10. Serve, garnished with crispy bacon and chives

what wines to drink with lobster chowder:

Here are a few of my favorite white wines to serve with this lobster chowder! They all have a wonderful acidity that offsets the richness of the chowder. They are fresh and simple aromatically, so the sweet lobster flavor can take the full spotlight. 

Muscadet (Loire, France): fresh, citrusy, briny and light

Assyrtiko (Greece): racy acidity and a full-bodied, rich texture

Sancerre (Loire, France): crisp, flinty white wines with bracing acidity, green fruit and a creamy palate 

Pinot Blanc (Pfalz, Germany) mouthwatering acidity, tart, dry with a stony, minerally edge

Meursault (Burgundy, France): opulent, rich texture wines with notes of fresh cream, hazelnuts, lemon and apple

what’s the best way to cook lobster?

I prefer to steam fresh lobsters, especially if I plan on making lobster stock from the shells. It concentrates the flavors in the meat and the shell, rather than leaching it out into a pot of water you’ll later dump out. The shells stay full of natural flavor that you can later turn into lobster stock-- the secret weapon to all things lobster!

1. Fill a large pot with an inch or two of water.
2. Place the steamer basket in the pot, cover with a lid and bring to a simmer.
3. Wrangle the lobsters into the pot, cover and steam for 8- 12 minutes, depending on the size of the lobsters.
4. When ready, the shell will be bright red and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the tail meat will register 140°F.
5. Let cool enough to handle, then get the meat out (see below)!

how to break down a lobster:

1. Twist the tail off the body
2. Squeeze the tail shell to crack it, then peel open and pull out the meat
3. Twist the claws off the body, crack and remove the meat
4. Twist off the knuckles, crack and remove the meat
5. Twist off the legs and use a rolling pin to squeeze out the meat

Here’s  a really great quick video of Gordon Ramsey breaking down a lobster to help!

frequently asked questions about lobster chowder:

how to turn this into lobster corn chowder:

Adding corn into this lobster chowder is a great way to transform this soup into the best summer stew! Thankfully, it couldn't be easier to add the fresh summer corn flavor and sweet crunch!

1. Stir in 2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels along with the potatoes in Step 4.
2. Cook for 10- 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.
3. Stir in lobster, heat through and serve!

For extra smoky flavor, grill the corn cobs first, slice them off the cob and stir them in with the potatoes. Garnish with a spoonful of charred kernels along with crispy bacon and chives. So tasty!

what to serve with lobster chowder?

I love to serve this lobster chowder with crusty artisan bread, fresh salad and a crisp bottle of white wine. Try it with this apple arugula salad with pickled raisins!

what’s the difference between bisque and chowder?

The primary difference between a bisque and chowder is texture. Bisque is a creamy, smooth, pureed soup, while chowder is a chunky soup. 

Chowder is made with a milk or cream base, sometimes thickened with flour. It typically has chunks of potatoes in it along with some type of meat (clams, lobster, shrimp, crab, bacon) or more vegetables (celery, corn). 

Bisque is traditionally a seafood based soup, such as lobster bisque or crab bisque. These days, however, it can also be made to highlight a simple vegetable, such as zucchini bisque, mushroom bisque or corn bisque.

more lobster and seafood recipes to try!

roast lobster tail with brown butter hollandaise

brown butter lobster benedict

lobster risotto

how to make lobster stock

five spice grilled shrimp with sweet and sour sauce

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