Boston/New England Clam Chowder Recipe Wanted

[shel]

Hi gang,

I had some pretty insipid New England clam chowder this afternoon. Anyone got a great, hearty, tasty, chowder recipe they'd care to share?

Thanks!

Shel

[KYHeirloomer]

If you insist on New England style, I can't help help you, Shel. Most of the rest of the Atlantic coast doesn't use milk or cream. And, of course, Manhatten style is tomato based.

Here, for instance, is the basic recipe used along the coastal mid-South:

4 Irish potatos, diced
1 large onion, diced
2 dozen chowder clams, chopped, and their juices
1 tsp black pepper
Water

In a large saucepan, cover potatoes and onions with water and bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes. Add clams and their juices. Boil for 3 minutes. Add pepper.

To make this thicker, cornmeal mixed with some water can be added before the final 3 minutes of cooking.

Most of the time some sort of fat, usually in the form of salt pork or bacon, is used. Here's one version:

1 qt chopped clams
1/4 lb salt pork
2 qts water
5 medium potatoes, cubed
2 medium onions, chopped
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
Corn meal dumplings*

Dice salt pork, fry until crisp and golden brown. Put fried pork into pot in which chowder is to be cooked. Add chopped clams, water and seasoning. Cook slowly until clams are tender (2-3 hours). Then add potatoes and onions, and cook until potatoes are doen. Drop in corn meal dumplings on top of chowder. Cover tightly and simmer for 15 minutes.

*1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
Water to make dough

Combine ingredients. Shape and press dough into small thin patties. Place on top of stew or chowder.

For a really hearty clam chowder, here's one from the Maryland Office of Seafood Marketing:

Maryland Clam Chowder

2 qts water
1/4 cup chicken stock base
3 stalks celery, including tops, chopped
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup sliced potatoes
1 10-oz pkg frozen corn
1 10-oz pkg frozen peas
1 tbls chopped chives
2 tbls instant minced onion
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/2 tsp thyme leaves
1/2 tsp lemon & pepper seasoning
2 cups clam juice
1 1/2 cups diced cooked chicken
24 oz fresh or canned ground or minced hard shell clams, including juice
1 whole pimento, chopped fine
1 tsp parsley flakes
Salt & Pepper to taste

Bring water to boil. Add chicken stock base and mix well. Add all ingredients through clam juice and simmer untill vegetables are tender. Add remaining ingredients and simmer 5 minutes more.

Makes about 4 quarts.

Note: For an especially elegant version, add 1 dozen shucked Chesapeake Bay soft shell clams with final ingredients.

Well, these should give you a start.

[shel]

Thanks ... these will be worth looking into later today. I've gotta run out now and get some matzoh. I made a nice chicken stock last night, and all this talk about matzohballs has got me motivated to use some of the stock to make and enjoy some of those delicasies.

Shel

[MikeLM]

The only real thing is New England clam chowder. Tomatoes... is like putting ketchup on Chicago hot dogs.

We lived around Boston for 12 years, and learned something about clam chowder. Our family standard recipe is from The New England Cookbook by Eleanor Early (Random House, 1954)

1/4 lb fat salt poork
3 large onions, chopped
4 medium potatoes, cubed
1 quart clams, fresh or canned (we've been using frozen from WF lately)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1 qt milk
2 cups light cream
1-1/2 tsps salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp thyme
1/8 tsp rosemary
Lots of oyster crackers and more butter, to serve

Dice pork and cook over low heat in a heavy pan until crisp and crunchy. Remove pork from pan and add onions. Cook over low heat for 15 min, or until onions are golden yellow.

Add potatoes and water to barely cover. Cook until potatoes are tender.
Add minced clams and liquid.Simmer a few minutes.

Make a white sauce with butter, flour, and milk. Add to clam mixture. Remove from heat and cool.

Add cream and seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes, cool and chill in refrigerator for 2 or 3 days. Reheat and recool as you use it up. The more ageing and reheating, the better the flavor.

That's the Right Stuff!

Mike

[shel]

Originally Posted by MikeLM

1/4 lb fat salt poork
3 large onions, chopped
4 medium potatoes, cubed
1 quart clams, fresh or canned (we've been using frozen from WF lately)

Great .... that seems to be pretty close to what I'm looking for. What's "WF?" Whole Foods?

Shel

[MikeLM]

Yep- Whole Foods. Next to TJ my favorite culinary source.

Mike

And that would be Trader Joe's