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CHAPTER 1

The Chowder Pot

Boston-Style Creamy Clam Chowder

4–5 servings

This chowder, made with hard-shell clams and lightly flour-thickened, originated in the Boston area and over time has become the chowder standard for most of the country. It is a rich, creamy, deeply flavorful brew, plain and unadorned, except for the scatter of thyme and fresh parsley. Pass a bowl of traditional oyster crackers and add Vinegary Cabbage Slaw and Dark and Sticky Candied Gingerbread for a terrific any-season supper.

INGREDIENTS

* 4 ounces salt pork or bacon, cut into ½-inch dice or ground in the food processor (about 1 cup) (see Notes)

* 6 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced

* 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

* 3 cups bottled clam juice (see Notes)

* 2 cups water, plus more if needed

* 1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)

* 2 teaspoons dried thyme or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh (see Notes)

* 1 bay leaf, broken in half

* 3 cups chopped hard-shell clams with their liquor (see Notes)

* 1 ½ cups heavy cream

* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

* 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the salt pork with the butter in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cooked bits with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve. If you don't have 8 tablespoons of fat in the pot, make up the difference with additional butter.

2. Add the onion and celery and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the clam juice and water and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking until smooth.

3. Add the potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the clams and cream, cook for 5 minutes, and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the chowder sit at cool room temperature for at least an hour or, better yet, refrigerate for up to 2 days.

4. Reheat over low heat, adding more broth, cream, or water if the chowder is too thick. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and pass the reserved pork bits (reheated in the microwave) for sprinkling on the chowder if desired.

Notes

If you're using bacon it should produce enough of its own fat, so there's no need to cook it in butter. After removing the cooked bits, you should have about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; discard any excess and add 6 tablespoons butter to make a total of 8 tablespoons fat.

For this classic chowder, dried thyme is more traditional than fresh, but feel free to use either.

If you have fresh clams, scrub 5 to 6 pounds and steam them in 4 cups of water just until they open, 5 to 10 minutes. Then scrape out the clam meat and chop into pea-size pieces. Pour the cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup, let any sediment settle, and pour off 3 cups of the clean broth to use in place of the bottled clam juice.

Chopped hard-shell clams (with their liquor) can be found fresh or frozen in the seafood section of most supermarkets. Bottled clam juice is usually shelved with the canned fish in the supermarket.

Connecticut Shoreline Semi-Clear Clam Chowder

4 servings

This is typical of the old-fashioned chowders they "build" along the Connecticut shoreline — untouched by flour, mostly clear broth, but with the addition of just enough evaporated milk to tame the rough edges of the chowder. Brussels Sprout Slaw or purchased creamy coleslaw is a good accompaniment, along with oyster crackers and a plate of Spiced Hermit Bar Cookies to finish.

INGREDIENTS

* 4 ounces salt pork or bacon, cut into -inch dice or ground in the food processor (about 1 cup) (see Notes)

* 2 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed

* 1 medium onion, chopped

* 1 celery stalk, chopped

* 2 cups bottled clam juice or broth from cooked clams (see Notes)

* 2 cups water

* 1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)

* 2 cups chopped hard-shell clams with their liquor (see Notes)

* 1 ½ cup evaporated milk

* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the salt pork with the butter in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cooked bits with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve. If you don't have 4 tablespoons of fat in the pot, make up the difference with additional butter.

2. Add the onion and celery and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the clam juice, water, and potatoes, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes.

3. Add the clams with their liquor and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the evaporated milk and heat gently. (Try not to boil or the chowder could curdle.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the chowder sit for at least an hour at cool room temperature or, better yet, refrigerate for up to 2 days.

4. Reheat over low heat, ladle into bowls, and pass the reserved pork bits (reheated in the microwave) for sprinkling on the chowder if desired.

Notes

If you're using bacon it should produce enough of its own fat, so there's no need to cook it in butter. After removing the cooked bits, you should have about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; discard any excess and add 2 tablespoons butter to make a total of 4 tablespoons fat.

To use fresh clams, scrub 4 pounds clams and steam them in 4 cups of water just until they open, 5 to 10 minutes. Then scrape out the clam meat and chop into pea-size pieces. Pour the cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup, let any sediment settle, and pour off 3 cups of the clean broth to use in the chowder in place of the bottled clam juice and clam liquor.

Bottled clam juice is usually shelved with the canned fish in the supermarket. Clam "liquor" is the sweet, flavorful liquid inside a raw clam. Chopped fresh or frozen hard-shell clams are packed in their liquor, and it should definitely be added to any chowder.

Milky Maine Steamer Chowder

4 servings

This is the archetypal Maine clam chowder, made with sweet briny steamer clams and containing nary a trace of flour thickener. "Flour in chowder," says noted Portland chef Sam Hayward of Fore Street, "is anathema in Maine." Instead, the chowder derives some body from the starch released by the floury potatoes. Its creaminess comes from evaporated milk, which was originally used for its convenience but has now become fairly standard in many traditional recipes. Serve with Crusty Skillet Cornbread or oyster crackers and Brussels Sprout Slaw.

INGREDIENTS

* 4 pounds small to medium-size soft-shell clams (about 50 clams)

* 5 cups water

* 4 ounces salt pork or bacon, chopped into ½-inch dice or ground in the food processor (about 1 cup) (see Note)

* 4 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 1 ½ pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (about 4 cups)

* 2 cups evaporated milk

* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Scrub the clams well and rinse in several changes of water if they are muddy. (See About Clams.) Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add the clams. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, shaking the pot a couple of times to redistribute the clams, until they open, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the clams to a bowl. Pour the clam broth into another bowl, leaving any sediment behind.

2. Working over the bowl to catch juices, remove the clams from their shells. Pull off the black skin and snip off the black necks if you don't like the looks of them in your chowder. Cut the clams with a large knife or scissors into approximately -inch pieces and set them aside. Let the broth stand for at least 30 minutes, then measure out 5 cups, leaving any additional black sediment behind. (The clams and broth can be prepared a day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

3. Cook the salt pork with the butter in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cooked bits with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve. If you don't have 6 tablespoons of fat in the pot, make up the difference with additional butter.

4. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the 5 cups clam broth and the diced potatoes, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

5. Add the cooked clams, stir in the evaporated milk, and heat through over gentle heat. (Try not to boil or the chowder could curdle.) Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the chowder sit for at least an hour at cool room temperature or, better yet, refrigerate for up to 2 days.

6. Reheat over very low heat, stirring frequently, until the chowder steams and is heated through. Ladle into bowls and pass the reserved pork bits (reheated in the microwave) for sprinkling on the chowder if desired.

Note

If you're using bacon it should produce enough of its own fat, so there's no need to cook it in butter. After removing the cooked bits, you should have about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; discard any excess and add 4 tablespoons butter to make a total of 6 tablespoons fat.

Manhattan-Style Clam Chowder

4 servings

As a New Englander born and bred, I've always been somewhat resistant to Manhattan-style chowder, which is made with various vegetables, including tomatoes. Oh, heresy, Connecticut and Massachusetts folks would cry! But, truth to tell, it's a really delicious soup — er, chowder — especially when served with a basket of warm Rosemary-Onion Focaccia.

INGREDIENTS

* 4 ounces bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

* 2 tablespoons olive oil

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 2 celery stalks, chopped

* 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

* 2 carrots, cut into -inch dice

* 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

* 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice

* 3 cups bottled clam juice (see Note)

* 1 cup water

* 1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)

* teaspoon salt, plus more if needed

* 2 teaspoons dried oregano

* 1 bay leaf, broken in half

* 2 cups chopped hard-shell clams with their liquor

* 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

* Freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the bacon in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cooked bits with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve. You should have 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot; if there is too much, pour some off, or if there is too little, make up the difference with additional olive oil.

2. Add the oil to the pot and cook the onion, celery, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic over medium heat until they soften, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, clam juice, and water to the pot, along with the diced potatoes, salt, oregano, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. (The tomatoes will slow the cooking time of the potatoes, so you may need to cook a few extra minutes.)

3. Add the clams with their liquor and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the reserved bacon and the parsley and season with pepper and additional salt if needed. Let the chowder sit for at least an hour at cool room temperature or, better yet, refrigerate for up to 2 days.

4. Reheat over low heat, ladle into bowls, and serve.

Note

Bottled clam juice is usually shelved with the canned fish in the supermarket.

Rocky Point Red Chowder

4 servings

If you type "Rocky Point chowder" into any search engine, you will get dozens and dozens of postings from rabidly nostalgic people waxing rhapsodic about the red chowder and clam cakes that were served at Rocky Point Amusement Park in Warwick, Rhode Island, from about the 1920s through the 1950s. Although the park is long closed, the chowder lives on in the memories of those who loved it. This recipe is a composite of what I found in my research.

The tomato soup is authentic and adds not just color and flavor but also some thickening power and a touch of sweetness. This chowder is especially great with Narragansett Clam Fritters, of course.

INGREDIENTS

* 4 ounces salt pork or bacon, cut into ½-inch dice or ground in the food processor (about 1 cup) (see Notes)

* 3 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed

* 1 large onion, chopped

* 2 cups bottled clam juice (see Notes)

* 3 cups water

* 1 ½ pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)

* 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

* 3 cups chopped hard-shell clams with their liquor (see Notes)

* cup condensed tomato soup

* 1 ½ teaspoons paprika

* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cook the salt pork with the butter in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cooked bits with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve. If you don't have 5 tablespoons of fat in the pot, make up the difference with additional butter.

2. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the clam juice, water, potatoes, and Old Bay. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Add the clams, tomato soup, and paprika, and cook for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste (since the clams, clam juice, and tomato soup are salty, the chowder may not need more salt). Let the chowder sit at cool room temperature for at least an hour or, better yet, refrigerate for up to 2 days.

4. Reheat over low heat, ladle into bowls, and pass the reserved pork bits (reheated in the microwave) for sprinkling on the chowder if desired.

Notes

If you're using bacon it should produce enough of its own fat, so there's no need to cook it in butter. After removing the cooked bits, you should have about 2 tablespoons of bacon fat; discard any excess and add 3 tablespoons butter to make a total of 5 tablespoons fat.

Bottled clam juice is usually shelved with the canned fish in the supermarket.

Chopped hard-shell clams can be found fresh or frozen in the seafood section of most supermarkets.

(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Chowderland"
by .
Copyright © 2015 Brooke Dojny.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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