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Manhattan-Style Clam Chowder

Source of Recipe

From "Chowderland" by Brooke Dojny


Recipe Introduction

"As a New Englander born and bred, I've always been somewhat resistant to Manhattan-style chowder, which is made with various vegetables, including tomatoes. Oh, heresy, Connecticut and Massachusetts folks would cry! But, truth to tell, it's a really delicious soup—er, chowder—especially when served with a basket of warm Rosemary-Onion Focaccia."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 ounces bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
â—¦ 2 tablespoons olive oil
â—¦ 1 large onion, chopped
â—¦ 2 celery stalks, chopped
â—¦ 1 small green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
â—¦ 2 carrots, cut into ½-inch dice
â—¦ 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
â—¦ 1 (14 ½-ounce) can diced tomatoes in juice
â—¦ 3 cups bottled clam juice
â—¦ 1 cup water
â—¦ 1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
â—¦ ¾ teaspoon salt, plus more if needed
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dried oregano
â—¦ 1 bay leaf, broken in half
â—¦ 2 cups chopped hard-shell clams with their liquor
â—¦ 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
â—¦ Freshly ground black pepper


Recipe

Cook the bacon in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cooked bits with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve. You should have 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot; if there is too much, pour some off, or if there is too little, make up the difference with additional olive oil.

Add the oil to the pot and cook the onion, celery, bell pepper, carrots, and garlic over medium heat until they soften, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, clam juice, and water to the pot, along with the diced potatoes, salt, oregano, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until the potatoes are almost tender, about 15 minutes. (The tomatoes will slow the cooking time of the potatoes, so you may need to cook a few extra minutes.)

Add the clams with their liquor and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the reserved bacon and the parsley and season with pepper and additional salt if needed. Let the chowder sit for at least an hour at cool room temperature or, better yet, refrigerate for up to 2 days. Reheat over low heat, ladle into bowls, and serve.

Makes 4 servings