Manhattan Red Clam Chowder
List of Ingredients
Makes 8 main-dish servings
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 50-55 minutes
8 pounds small quahogs or small cherrystone clams
2 cups water
4 ounces slab bacon, rind removed, cut into 1/3-inch dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 ribs celery, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 medium green pepper, cored, seeded
and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 dried bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 cup Traditional Fish Stock (recipe, this page)
1 (28-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Kosher or sea salt, if needed
Scrub the clams and rinse clean in several changes of water. Place the water in a 7- to 8-quart stockpot and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the clams and cover tightly. After 5 minutes, uncover and stir the clams with a wooden spoon. Quickly cover the pot again and let steam for 5 minutes more, or until most of the clams have opened. Don't wait for them all to open, or they will be overcooked. It should take only a little tug or prying to open the stragglers once they are all removed from the heat. The total cooking time for large cherrystones will be about 10 minutes; quahogs will need as much as 5 minutes longer. (Littlenecks and other small clams will take 6 to 8 minutes.)
As soon as you remove the clams from the stove, carefully pour as much of the broth as you can into a tall, narrow container. Let the broth sit for 10 minutes, then pour through a fine-mesh strainer. You can line the strainer with cheesecloth as an extra precaution, but if you are careful and stop before you pour off all the broth, it is not really necessary because after sitting, 99 percent of the grit will have collected at the bottom of the container. If you are not using the broth within the hour, chill it as quickly as possible and cover it after it has completely cooled.
Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Meanwhile, remove the clams from their shells, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (They are easier to dice and hold together better after they are chilled.) You should have about 4 cups broth and 1 pound clams. After the clams have cooled a bit, dice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Cover again and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is a crisp golden brown. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.
Add the olive oil and garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the onion, celery, bell pepper, carrots, bay leaves, oregano and crushed red pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the vegetables are softened but not browned.
Add the potatoes, reserved clam broth and 1 cup fish stock. The broth should just barely cover the potatoes; if it doesn't, add enough water to cover. Turn up the heat, bring to a boil, cover and cook the potatoes vigorously for about 10 minutes, until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the broth hasn't thickened lightly, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot and cook a minute or two longer to release their starch.
Add the tomatoes and simmer for another 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the diced clams and chopped parsley and season to taste with black pepper. (It is unlikely that you will need to add any salt; the clams usually provide enough.)
If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.
Clams are among the most pungent shellfish, so they can stand up to the strong Mediterranean flavors of this red chowder from Jasper White.
When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Ladle into cups or bowls, making sure the clams, vegetables and bacon are evenly divided. --- From "50 Chowders" by Jasper White (Scribner, $30)
In Altanta Journal Constitution 12/21/00
Per serving: 338 calories (percent of calories from fat, 38), 22 grams protein, 29 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 14 grams fat, 50 milligrams cholesterol, 477 milligrams sodium.
Recipe
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