Crab, Shrimp, & Potato Chowder - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 -3 tablespoons butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup shallot, chopped*
3/4 cup celery, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced small
1 garlic clove, minced
3 1/2 cups red potatoes or 1 lb red potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cups heavy whipping cream or (16 ounce) carton heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped*
1/2 - 1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 (15 ounce) can cream-style corn
1 (14 ounce) can chicken broth (*)
8 ounces cooked lump crabmeat, shells removed*
8 ounces precooked medium shrimp, shelled and deveined*
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
salt, to taste*

Preparation

* Instead of buying multiple small shallots, you can use one plum-sized shallot. It comes to a little more than 1/4 cup, but it still tastes great.
* If using dried herbs, it's suggested that you use less than the called-for amount, but I used about 3 teaspoons dried thyme and parsley in my modified version.
* I increased the amount of black pepper to about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 teaspoons I like pepper, and 1/2 teaspoons just didn't seem like nearly enough.
* If not using canned broth, 2 cups of broth works well.
* I used two 6 oz. cans of crab meat each time I've made this chowder.
* I used I lb. of extra-large shrimp, cut into small pieces.
* This recipe did not call for any salt, but the first time I made it I found it to be somewhat sweet. Since it's such a large amount of chowder, I added about 3/4 tsp of salt, but feel free to add more or less depending on your tastes.
1) In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
2) Add onion, shallots, celery, red pepper, and garlic. Saute for 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
3) Add potatoes and saute for an additional 1 minute.
4) Sprinkle flour over the mixture one tablespoon at a time, stirring well. Cook the mixture for one minute more.
5) Add one more tablespoon of butter if the mixture if desired.
6) Stir in cream, thyme, pepper, nutmeg, corn, and broth. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently.
7) Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
8) Stir in crab, shrimp, and parsley and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until the chowder has reached the desired thickness. Continue to stir occasionally until done.