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Manhattan Clam Chowder

Source of Recipe


From "Arthur Schwartz's New York City Food"



List of Ingredients



• 2 dozen large chowder clams, well washed
  
• 4 ounces bacon or salt pork, cut into ½-inch pieces
  
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
  
• 2 medium onions, cut into ¼-inch dice
  
• 1 medium carrot, cut into ¼-inch dice
  
• 1 large rib celery, cut into ¼-inch dice
  
• 1 large green pepper, cut into ¼-inch dice
  
• 1½ pounds potatoes, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 3 cups)
  
• 1 28-ounce can peeled plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped, with their juice
  
• 1 tsp dried thyme
  
• 1 large bay leaf
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• Salt, to taste
  






Instructions



1. In a 5-quart pot, combine the clams and 6 cups of cold water. Cover and place over high heat. When the water begins to boil, uncover the pot and boil the clams until they open, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the clams from their shells. Set aside in a large bowl. Strain the broth through a sieve lined with a few layers of cheesecloth or a tightly woven cloth napkin. Leave behind any sand that may have settled in the pot. You should have slightly less than 8 cups of liquid. Set aside. Rinse out the 5-quart pot and dry it.
   
   
2. Put the bacon or salt pork in the pot with the vegetable oil and cook over medium-low heat until some of the fat has rendered and the meat has lost its raw color. Add the diced onion, carrot, celery, and green pepper. Toss well; then cook over medium heat until the vegetables are well wilted, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the potatoes and the reserved and strained clam broth. Bring to a boil; then adjust the heat so the broth just simmers. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer another 10 minutes or so, until the vegetables are very tender.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, push the clams through the medium blade of a meat grinder, or finely chop them in a food processor. When the chowder has cooked for half an hour, add the clams; then shut off the heat. Add freshly ground pepper to taste. Correct the salt; the chowder may not need any because the clams are salty, and the tomatoes have salt, but usually it does. The chowder is much better when it is allowed to stand for several hours, or refrigerated overnight, then gently reheated to the simmering point. Serve very hot.
   
   Serves about 8