Ninja's blog: "Cooking with Ninja"

Shopping list:

Chopped seasoning (bell pepper, onion, celery, green onion) (3 cups)

Flour (need 1/2 cup)

1 Qt Half & half (I use fat free, for a thicker soup, you can use heavy whipping cream)

Seafood stock (I make this myself also, you can find premade stock at most stores. You can also use a low sodium chicken or vegetable stock insead as well)

Cayene pepper (1/2 Tbsp)

6 tbsp of butter

Creole seasoning (if available) If not, you can use Black pepper and ground white pepper, and a little salt

3 lbs shrimp, peeled and deveined (I use 41/50 count peeled and deveined shrimp. You can use smaller if you choose or you can use crabmeat, or even crawfish tail meat)

1 can of corn (or you can use frozen corn for less sodium)

2 cans cream corn

2 Bay leaves

3 oz brandy

Directions:

In a large pot melt the butter over MEDIUM HEAT. Stir in half a cup of flour and the 1/2 tbsp of cayene pepper. KEEP STIRRING. This will burn and burn quickly if you do not pay attention.

Once the flour looks like a paste, stir in the chopped seasoning and sprinkle the creole seasoning on top. Keep stirring the seasoning as it softens. Use the stock a half a cup at a time to help cook down the seasoning (do not use more than 3 cups).

Once the seasoning is cooked down (the onions start to turn clear), hit it with the brandy. Then,  slowly stir in the Half & Half or heavy whipping cream. Whisk the cream and flour mixture as you pour it in, making sure to mix it well.

Once you have mixed in all the cream, drop in the two bay leaves and allow the soup to simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the corn and shrimp and return it to a simmer. Stirring frequently, cook the soup until all the shrimp turn pink. For a thicker soup, allow it to simmer longer to reduce.

It is important when making any sort of cream based soup to remember that you must stir frequently. The flour will settle to the bottom and burn quickly if you do not pay attention.

Serve immediately in a cup as an appetizer or in a bowl as a meal! It's a hearty soup that will satisfy everyone! It freezes and reheats well, so don't worry about making a large pot!