Grandma Rottinghauss Clam Chowder Food

GRANDMA'S CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Lay out bacon in the bottom of a large stock pot over low heat. Render bacon slowly until nearly crisp but while grease is still very liquid (about 10 minutes).
• Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until nearly soft. Turn up heat slightly if necessary (about 10 minutes).
• Add potatoes to vegetables and mix well.
• Sift in flour slowly, stirring constantly, until flour and bacon grease make a roux.
• Add salt, pepper and hot sauce.
• Add stock to cover vegetables (no more than 1" over).
• Stir, add bay leaves and bring to a boil.
• When just at boiling, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through but not mushy (20-25 min.).
• Add clams and increase heat until just boiling then remove from heat.
• Stir in cream.
• Ladle to bowls and garnish with parsley.

EAST HAMPTON CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• In a small pot, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over very low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in a cup of the hot broth and then pour this mixture back into the cooked vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened.
• Add the milk and clams and heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

GRANDMA ROTTINGHAUS'S CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• 1. cook bacon - drain 2. saute onions 3. add potatoes to pan and cook until slightly brown. 4. add a touch of water until potatoes are completely cooked 5. Add milk (depending upon consistency desired) and clams (if fresh cook first) 6. Add cornstarch OR flour if thicker consistency is perferred (mix with water FIRST then pour slowly into soup).

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.