Ingredients:

• 2 pounds medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 scallions, minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• Salt
• 2 cups fresh or thawed frozen corn kernels
• 2 cups whole milk
• 2 tablespoons Annatto oil (recipe follows)
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 3 plum tomatoes—peeled, seeded and finely chopped
• 6 cups fish or chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
• 1 unripe (green) plantain, peeled and coarsely grated
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Tangy Corn Salsa, for serving

• 1 cup corn oil
• ¼ cup annatto seeds

Cooking Instructions:

Make the Annatto Oil

1. In a small saucepan, combine the oil and annatto seeds and bring to a simmer over low heat. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let the oil cool completely, about 30 minutes. Strain the Annatto Oil into a jar.

Make the Chowder

1. In a large, shallow glass or stainless-steel bowl, toss the shrimp with two-thirds of the minced garlic, the scallions, lime juice and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or for up to 3 hours.
2. In a food processor, puree the corn with the milk. Pour the puree through a coarse strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
3. Heat the Annatto Oil in a large sauce-pan or enameled cast-iron casserole. Add the remaining garlic, onion, bell pepper and cumin and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add the corn milk, stock, plantain, cilantro and cayenne and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately low heat until very flavorful, about 20 minutes.
4. Pour the soup through a coarse strainer. Working in batches, puree the vegetables in a blender. Return the puree and the strained broth to the saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the shrimp and its marinade and cook over moderate heat until the shrimp are just opaque throughout, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and serve in warmed soup plates or bowls with the Tangy Corn Salsa.