Bab's New England Seafood Chowder

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon cut into small pieces
• 2  bay leaves 
• 1 pound bay scallops 
• 3 tablespoons butter 
• 4 rib celery diced
• 2 pounds filets cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon thyme leaves dried
• 24 fluid ounce evaporated milk canned
• 1 cup flour all-purpose
• 0.5 cup parsley fresh chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tablespoon ground pepper black
• 1 pound clam meat fresh chopped
• 2 cups new potatoes diced
• 1 tablespoon seafood seasoning old bay® (such as )
• 1 quart seafood stock 
• 1 pound shrimp deveined peeled
• 1 tablespoon paprika smoked
• 1 large onion diced sweet vidalia® (such as )

Equipment

• paper towels
• pot
• slotted spoon
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook and stir bacon in melted butter until crisp, about 10 minutes.
2. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel, reserving drippings in the pot.
3. Add onion and celery to the reserved drippings; cook and stir until the onion is translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Stir garlic, thyme, pepper, seafood seasoning, and paprika into the onion mixture.
5. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and stir; cook for 2 minutes. Fold potatoes into the mixture.
6. Pour seafood stock over the mixture.
7. Add bay leaves. Bring the stock to a simmer; cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and the liquid thickens to your liking, 20 to 30 minutes.
8. Stir evaporated milk into the simmering stock; add cod, bay scallops, clam meat, and shrimp. Continue cooking the mixture at a simmer until the seafood is cooked through, about 5 minutes.
9. Garnish with parsley to serve.