SHRIMP CHOWDER & CHEDDAR SPREAD

Cheddar Ale Spread

8 oz cream cheese
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 ½ cups shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
2 TBSP heavy cream
¼ tsp Tabasco sauce
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup flavorful Northwest beer( I used Redhook)
2 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
½ cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
Combine the cream cheese, mustard, Cheddar, cream, Tabasco, and salt in a food processor. Process for about 30 seconds, add the beer, and continue processing until very smooth. Pulse in the parsley and hazelnuts until just dispersed.
Can be stored in fridge for up to 4 days. You will want to take it out an hour before serving if you do refridgerate.

Grilled Corn and Shrimp Chowder

¼ cup diced celery
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup diced carrot
1 garlic clove, chopped
¼ cup of butter plus one TBSP
2 cups russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
½ tsp coriander
a dash of white pepper
sea salt to taste
4 cups of lobster stock(or fish stock if you don’t have lobster stock)
1 TBSP chicken flavor base
2 ½ cups heavy cream
¾ pound of shrimp, raw, peeled and deveined
1 ¾ cup grilled fresh corn, cut off of the cob after grilling
1.In a large stock pot, cook celery, carrot, onion and garlic in 1 TBSP of butter. Saute for about 5 minutes, until tender.
2.Add potatoes, coriander, white pepper and lobster stock. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 30 minutes, while the stock reduces.
3.Add chicken base, cream and ¼ cup butter(bad I know but really good). Simmer another 20 minutes.
4.Check soup to see if it needs salt, it might not.
5.Stir in the shrimp and the corn. Wait for shrimp to turn pink and curl up, about 2 minutes.
6.Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with parsley or maybe crumbled bacon(mmm) if desired.