Shrimp & Clam Chowder

I've been searching for a different take at chowder, the mushrooms and quasimodo take on Italian soup caught my attention. After making a few addition/alterations, which I'll explain, the original above-par recipe has been transformed into the most amazing chowder I've ever had... and being from Seattle that's an audacious statement. Do yourself a favor, make the following adjustments, your taste-buds will thank you.<br/> <br/>The following changes...<br/>2 cups Shrimp Stock: Save the shells and make your own shrimp-stock, a very simple process and one of the major flavor ingredients.<br/>3 oz. Pancetta: Most chowders use bacon, I prefer a more flavorful pancetta.<br/>6 Red Potatoes: Leave the skin on, gives the chowder a more rustic old world feel. <br/>3oz. Tomato Paste: Again, more added flavor. <br/>Add 2-1/2 more cups of milk. The 1/2 cup of flower is way too much for the original recipe, it nearly made the way too thick chowder bear a resemblance to claim and shrimp dip. <br/>By adding the additional liquids your chowder takes on a silkier soul, it also adds to your servings (4-6 to 6-9), no worries, this chowder freezes well, a couple people even said it had more flavor if that's possible. <br/>Enjoy!

This is very tasty, but a tad too thick. I would cut down on the amount of flour next time. Flavors were great, though. I did find the recipe a bit hard to follow, since ingredient list is not in order of use. And no mention of when to add the parsley, so I put it in with the mushrooms (which were a nice touch, btw--never had them in clam chowder before).

My husband prepared this chowder exactly as posted and it was delicious! He added hot sauce to his bowl and enjoyed it that way. Can't wait to have it again; thanks for posting a fabulous recipe!