Gourmet Manhattan Clam Chowder Food

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set those aside as well.
• Rinse out the pot, and return it to stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium-low. Add bacon or salt pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pork has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove pork from fat, and set aside.
• Add onions, garlic, celery, green peppers and carrots to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft but not brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in potatoes, and continue cooking until they have just started to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add 4 cups of clam broth, reserving the rest for another use. Add the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaf.
• Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot to release their starch and help thicken the broth.
• Meanwhile, chop the clams into bits that are about the size of the bacon dice.
• When potatoes are tender, stir in tomatoes, and heat them through. Add chopped clams and reserved bacon, stirring to combine. Add black pepper to taste. Let chowder come to a simmer, and remove from heat. Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.
• The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.

CHEF JOHN'S MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Drain baby and chopped clams. Reserve liquid in the refrigerator until needed and set clams aside.
• Place bacon in a soup pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir until well-browned and almost crispy, 7 to 10 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook and stir until onions start to soften and turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add tomato paste; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Don't worry if some of the tomato paste sticks to the bottom of the pot; we want that to happen. Sprinkle in flour; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Dump in reserved clam juice plus bottled clam juice and chicken broth. Stir with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze any caramelization.
• Add carrots, celery, clams, diced tomatoes, pepper, and cayenne; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, skimming off some bacon fat if desired.
• Add diced potatoes and cook until tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt, if needed. Stir in fresh tarragon and parsley just before serving.

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low, then add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in potato, bottled clam juice, and tomatoes (with juice) and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in clams and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until clams open wide, 8 to 10 minutes. (Discard any clams that after 10 minutes have not opened.) Remove pan from heat.
• Remove most of clamshells with tongs, then detach clams and return them to chowder. (Keep a few in their shells for garnish.) Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, heat butter over low heat. Add onion, celery, green pepper and garlic; cook, stirring frequently, for 20 minutes. Add water and potatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. , Add tomatoes, clams, salt, thyme, pepper and cayenne; heat through. Stir in parsley. Serve immediately.

THE ULTIMATE MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Steam clams in a large pot and reserve the liquid that is left- it should measure about 3+ cups.
• Chop the clams.
• In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium/high heat until slightly crisp.
• Add the onions and cook, stirring until transparent.
• Add the pepper, carrot and celery and cook for about a minute.
• Add the clams, tomatoes, clam liquid, water, bay leaf, thyme ground pepper.
• Bring to a boil and add potatoes.
• Simmer 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Remove the bay leaf. Add chopped parsley.
• Add the cooked shrimp now if you plan to use them, but do not continue to cook or the shrimp will get tough.
• You should only warm the shrimp over for best results.
• Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large stockpot bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add clams, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, quickly stir clams well with a wooden spoon, and recover. Allow clams to cook 5 to 10 minutes longer (this will depend on the type and size of clams you are using), or until most of the clams are opened. Transfer clams to a large bowl or baking dish and strain broth through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. (You should have about 6 cups of clam broth. If not, add enough water to bring the volume up to 6 cups.) When clams are cool enough to handle, remove them from their shells and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Set clams and broth aside.
• In a large heavy pot add bacon and render until golden and crispy. Pour off all fat except 4 tablespoons. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and carrots and cook for 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Do not allow to color. Add garlic, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes. Increase heat to high and add potatoes, reserved clam broth, and chicken stock and bring to a boil, covered. Cook for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened somewhat. Add tomatoes and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add reserved clams and parsley and season with pepper and salt, if necessary. Allow chowder to sit for up to 1 hour to allow flavors to meld, then reheat slowly over low fire if necessary. Do not allow to boil.

CLASSIC MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• 1. Wash the clams well under cold running water in colander. Place clams in a large pot, and add enough water to cover clams by 2 inches. Cover the pan and place over high heat.
• 2. When the water comes to a boil, give the pan a good shake. Turn the heat to low, and cook clams another 30 seconds or so. Remove from the heat, and take out all the clams that have opened, using a slotted spoon. If any clams remain closed, put back on the heat, with the lid on the pan, and cook another 1-2 minutes. Remove remaining clams, reserve, discard any clams that have not opened.
• 3. Pour the clam juice through a fine strainer and set aside. You will need 6 cups of broth. If you have more than enough clam broth, reduce it to 6 cups. If you have too little clam brother, add some bottled clam juice or water to make 6 cups total.
• 4. Put the bacon into a large, heavy saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the bacon begins to brown. Pour off excess fat, leaving behind the bacon and about 3 tablespoons of fat in the pan.
• 5. Add the onion, celery, and carrot to the pan and cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, and cook mixture for 10 minutes more. Add tomatoes and reserved clam juice to the pan. Bring chowder to a boil over high heat.
• 6. While chowder is coming to a boil, remove clams from their shells and chop coarsely. Add to chowder and reduce heat to low. Add thyme leaves. Cook over low heat for another 5 minutes; check to make sure potatoes are soft and chowder is well seasoned. Remove and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Serve in warm bowls.

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a heavy bottomed soup pot, heat the olive oil, add the bacon or fat back and cook until its fat begins to render. Add the diced vegetables to the pot and sweat over low heat until wilted, about 15 minutes. Add the oregano, thyme, bay leaves, garlic, and cayenne and stir to combine. Add the crushed tomato and water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for one hour. Add the potatoes and continue to simmer for another 1/2 hour. Stir in the chopped clams with their juice and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve hot, with chowder crackers and freshly grated horseradish as a garnish.;

GOURMET MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Cook pancetta in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to moderately low, then add onion, bell pepper, and celery and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in potato, bottled clam juice, and tomatoes (with juice) and simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Stir in clams and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until clams open wide, 8 to 10 minutes. (Discard any clams that after 10 minutes have not opened.) Remove pan from heat.
• Remove most of clamshells with tongs, then detach clams and return them to chowder. (Keep a few in their shells for garnish.) Stir in parsley and salt and pepper to taste.
• Note: Chowder, without clams or parsley, can be made 1 day ahead. Bring to a simmer before adding clams and proceed.