Fresh Clam Chowder Food

THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325. In a glass baking dish, whisk together flour and melted butter until combined. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and crumbly. Set aside.
• In a large pot, melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter and add celery, onion, and leeks. Cook on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until soft and slightly transparent.
• Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the butter/flour mixture, half & half, and clams. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and fork tender.
• Add the butter/flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. The mixture will be extremely thick.
• Remove chowder from heat and stir in half & half until blended and smooth. Heat to serving temperature (do not bring to a boil), stirring occasionally. Once the chowder has thickened slightly, stir in the clams. Serve immediately.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Place the clams and 1 cup of water in a large pot. Cover and place over a high heat and cook the clams for 6 to 7 minutes. Uncover and remove the open clams.Cover the pot again and continue cooking the clams that haven't opened yet. Cook the clams for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and discard any clams that have not opened. Strain the liquid from the pot through a mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter and reserve.
• Coarsely chop the clams and reserve.
• Drizzle a few drops of olive oil into the bottom of the clam pot and toss in the bacon. Bring the pan to a medium heat. When the bacon has let off a lot of fat and become brown and crispy, toss in the onions and season lightly with salt. Cook the onions until they are very soft and aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Sprinkle the flour over the onions and potato mixture and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in the reserved clam juice. When the clam juice has been whisked in and there are no lumps, whisk in the milk and heavy cream and toss in the bay leaves and thyme. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Toss in the reserved clams. Taste and re-season if needed and add hot sauce if using.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water and drain well. Tip the clams into a large pan with 500ml of water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the clams have just opened. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander over a bowl to catch the clam stock. When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from their shells - reserving a handful of empty shells for presentation if you want. Strain the clam stock into a jug, leaving any grit in the bottom of the bowl. You should have around 800ml stock.
• Heat the butter in the same pan and sizzle the bacon for 3-4 mins until it starts to brown. Stir in the onion, thyme and bay and cook everything gently for 10 mins until the onion is soft and golden. Scatter over the flour and stir in to make a sandy paste, cook for 2 mins more, then gradually stir in the clam stock then the milk and the cream.
• Throw in the potatoes, bring everything to a simmer and leave to bubble away gently for 10 mins or until the potatoes are cooked. Use a fork to crush a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pan to help thicken - you still want lots of defined chunks though. Stir through the clam meat and the few clam shells, if you've gone down that route, and simmer for a minute to reheat. Season with plenty of black pepper and a little salt, if needed, then stir through the parsley just before ladling into bowls or hollowed-out crusty rolls.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Bring clams and 4 cups water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Cook until clams just open, 8-10 minutes (discard any that do not open). Using a large slotted spoon, transfer clams to a large rimmed baking sheet; set broth aside. Let clams cool slightly, then pull meat from shells; discard shells.
• Chop clams into bite-size pieces. Strain broth through a fine-mesh sieve set over a large bowl. Add water if needed to measure 6 cups. DO AHEAD: Clams and broth can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and chill.
• Melt butter in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon begins to brown, about 8 minutes. Add celery, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add reserved broth (or 6 cups bottled clam juice), potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Bring chowder base to a simmer; cook until potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes. Stir cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl to form a slurry. Stir slurry into chowder base; return to a boil to thicken. DO AHEAD: Base can be made 1 day ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Keep clams chilled. Bring base to a simmer before continuing.
• Remove base from heat. Discard bay leaf. Stir in reserved clams (or two 10-ounce cans baby clams) and cream. Season with salt, if needed (clams' brininess varies), and pepper.
• Divide chowder among bowls. Garnish with chives and oyster crackers.

PUMPKIN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Cook and stir chopped fennel and onion in bacon drippings over medium heat until tender, 8-10 minutes. Add chardonnay to pan; increase heat to medium-high. Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring to loosen browned bits from pan., Add 4-1/2 cups clam juice, pumpkin and potatoes. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, until pumpkin and potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally., Whisk flour and remaining 1/2 cup clam juice; stir into pan. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in clams, cream, tarragon, salt and pepper; heat through (do not boil). To serve, top soup with reserved chopped fennel fronds and cooked bacon.

FRESH CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• NOTE: Chowder Clams: 1 dozen, Cherrystones: 2 dozen, Littlenecks: 3 dozen.
• Rinse and scrub clams well.
• Soak clams in a large bowl of water with 1/4 Celsius salt and cornmeal. This helps to remove the sand from the clams.
• Combine water, onion, garlic, celery tops, bay leaf and a sprig of thyme & parsley in a soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
• Add clams and cover again. Bring to a boil and let cook 10-15 minutes manipulating the clams every few minutes to ensure they all get hit with the heat so they can open. As soon as there are clams that are open wide, remove them with thongs allowing any unopened ones to remain over the heat. Discard any clams that do not open as they are not safe to eat.
• Once all clams have been removed, set aside and let them cool enough to be handled.
• While the clams are cooling, strain the broth removing all sediments and set the broth aside in a separate bowl.
• In the soup pot that you used to make the broth, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
• Add potato, celery and carrot plus a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Saute for about 7 minutes and add the wine. Once wine is absorbed, add broth back into the pot. Add 1/2 T. fresh thyme, cover and bring to a boil. Let cook until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. While this is boiling, mince the cooled clams that have been removed from the shell.
• When the potatoes are done turn the heat to low-medium, add clams and cream. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and fresh pepper to taste.
• Garnish with chopped, fresh parsley and oyster crackers if desired.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• First, shuck the clams and remove the bellies. Clean the clams and then chop them into small pieces. Put to the side until ready to add to the pot.
• Heat the butter in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the celery and sweet onion and cook, mixing often, until they begin to soften. Next, sprinkle in the salt, black pepper and seafood boil seasoning. Add the self-rising flour to make a roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the clams and clam juice.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon and finely chop. Add to the pot. Add the potatoes along with the scallions. Stir to combine. Lastly, add the milk and half-and-half. Stir to warm. Serve in a bowl with parsley as a garnish.