Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder

OK.....how do I not oversell this chowder?  OK, I can't.  This is the BEST corn chowder I have ever had IN MY LIFE.  All courtesy of a new food blog I ran across, www.closetcooking.com.  This guy has a plethora of incredible recipes and I can hardly wait to start in on some of them, given the extraordinary flavor of this recipe.

In my mind, several things makes this a stellar chowder.  One:  fresh corn cut off of the cob.  Two:  Smoked paprika.....another one of my favorite seasonings.  Three:  The shrimp/chicken/corn cob broth.  The recipe notes that the broth step is optional, but adds a ton a of flavor.  SO right.

I served this with a garden salad and a warmed baguette.  This didn't need the salad.  This is an incredible meal in and of itself.

SHRIMP and ROASTED COR CHOWDER (4-6 servings)

4 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cobs with the cob reserved
1/2 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, with the shells reserved
4 cups broth (I used chicken)
4 slices smoked bacon, cut into 1" pieces
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 cloves (2 tsp) minced garlic
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 Tbsp flour
1 large russet potato, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup cream
salt (or fish sauce), pepper, and cayenne (or sriracha) to taste (I missed this entire step, and this chowder was still over the top.....I'll add a bit to some of my leftovers)

Bring the broth, corn cobs, and shrimp shells to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the liquid becomes cloudy, about 20-30 minutes, strain and discard the solids and set the broth aside (this set is optional, but adds a ton of flavor to the chowder).

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large heavy bottom sauce pan over medium heat and set aside on paper towels to drain.

Raise the heat to medium-high, add the corn and let it sit in place until it chars a bit, about 8 minutes, mix it, repeat and set aside.

Reduce the heat back down to medium, add the onion, celery, and pepper and saute until tender, about 7-10 minutes.

Add the garlic, thyme, and smoked paprika and saute until fragrant, about one minute.

Sprinkle on the flour and cook for another two minutes.

Add the broth, corn, and potato and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10 minutes.

Add the cream and shrimp and simmer until the shrimp is cooked, about 2-3 minutes.

Season to taste and serve garnished with the reserved bacon.