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Thanksgiving: Clam and Mushroom Soup

Source of Recipe

From "Thanksgiving 101" by Rick Rodgers


Recipe Introduction

"This recipe is based on one that I first enjoyed years ago at the Stanford Court Hotel in San Francisco. While it is an excellent Thanksgiving soup, you'll want to keep it in mind for other occasions, too. It is at its best with deeply flavored mushrooms, such as cremini or stemmed shiitakes, although regular mushrooms will work, too."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 3 dozen littleneck clams, well scrubbed
â—¦ ½ cup dry white wine
â—¦ 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
â—¦ 1 ½ pounds thinly sliced fresh mushrooms, preferably brown cremini, or white button mushrooms
â—¦ ½ cup finely chopped shallots
â—¦ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 3 ½ cups homemade turkey stock or chicken stock, or canned reduced-sodium broth
â—¦ 1 teaspoon dried marjoram or thyme
â—¦ ¾ cup heavy cream
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream, at room temperature, for garnish
â—¦ Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish


Recipe

Place the clams and wine in a Dutch oven or soup pot. Cover tightly and bring the wine to a boil over high heat. Cook, occasionally checking the progress of the clams, until the clams open, about 5 minutes. As the clams open, use kitchen tongs to transfer them to a large bowl. When the clams are cool, working over the bowl, remove the clam meat. Transfer the meat to a small bowl. Cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use. (The clams can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead.)

Line a wire sieve with rinsed and wrung-out cheesecloth or paper towels. Strain the clam juices into a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to use.

Rinse and wipe out the Dutch oven and return to the stove. Add the butter and melt over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give off their juices, about 3 minutes. Uncover and cook until the juices evaporate and the mushrooms are beginning to brown, about 3 minutes more. Add the shallots and stir until the shallots soften, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the flour and stir until the mushrooms are well coated with the flour, about 1 minute.

Add the stock, strained clam juice, and marjoram.
Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (The soup can be prepared up to this point 8 hours before serving, cooled, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat to simmering before proceeding.)

Add the heavy cream and clams, and heat until very hot but not boiling. Season with the salt (be careful, as the clams could have added enough salt of their own) and pepper. Transfer to a warmed soup tureen. Ladle the soup into warmed soup bowls, topping each serving with a dollop of crème fraîche and a sprinkle of parsley. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings