Aunt Pats Clam Chowder Recipes

RHODE ISLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set those aside as well.
• Rinse out the pot, and return it to the stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium-low. Add the bacon or salt pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pork has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove pork from fat, and set aside.
• Add onions and celery to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes and wine, and continue cooking until the wine has evaporated and the potatoes have just started to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add 4 cups of clam broth, reserving the rest for another use. Add the thyme and the bay leaf.
• Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the clams into bits that are about the size of the bacon dice.
• When the potatoes are tender, stir in the chopped clams and reserved bacon. Add black pepper to taste. Let the chowder come just to a simmer, and remove from heat. Fish out the thyme and bay leaf, and discard.
• The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.

AUNT PAT'S CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• 1. Thoroughly cook the bacon and set aside. Leave several Tbsp of bacon grease in the pan and saute the celery and onions in it. Dice potatoes and put in a pot. Pour diced tomatoes and their juices over and and just enough water to cover.
• 2. Coarsely chop or pulse in a food processor the clams a few at a time. **Reserve any liquid from the clams and set aside**
• 3. Add the sauteed celery and onions to the pot, then add the clams and cabbage.
• 4. Finely dice the fresh parsley and remove the thyme from the stems. Add to the pot. Simmer on very low heat until the potatoes are tender.
• 5. Right before serving crumble the bacon over the top.
• 6. DO NOT ADD SALT to this recipe. Taste as you cook, if you feel it needs salt, add a little bit of the reserved clam juice instead and a little black pepper to taste. The clam juice can easily over-salt a dish so only add small amounts at a time.

MY BEST CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.
• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.
• Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Boil veggies and salt in water till tender, about 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add evaporated milk, clams w/ juice, soup, parsley, and pepper. Add cream or milk till it is the consistency you like. Add the butter if you feel like it. Heat soup through but don't let it boil or it might scorch. And that would be sad. Very sad.

CLAM CHOWDER FOR ONE

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, cook potato, onion, salt and pepper in water until vegetables are tender (do not drain). Add clams, milk, butter and bacon; heat through (do not boil). Sprinkle with parsley if desired.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Drain clams in a colander and reserve all the clam juice and set aside.
• In a large saucepan over medium heat add ¾ chopped bacon, onion, and celery. Sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add in chicken stock and clam juice and simmer 5 minutes.
• Add in cubed potatoes and keep simmering until potatoes are tender, but not mushy, about 5 minutes. Season with garlic salt, dried parsley, black pepper, and onion powder. Pour in corn and chopped clams. Bring to a rolling boil.
• Whisk half and half and cornstarch or flour together to make a rue and pour into soup. Mix to combine and begins to thicken.
• Remove from heat and cook remaining bacon. Garnish with bacon and fresh chopped parsley.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, sauté bacon until almost crisp; add a pat of butter and onion, and continue to sauté until onion is soft, but not browned.
• Add garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds, do not brown.
• Add potatoes and clam juice (if potatoes aren't covered by at least 1-inch of liquid, add water to make up the difference).
• Bring to a boil, then reduce to a medium-low simmer. Partially cover and cook on medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
• Stir in clams with juice.
• Whisk together milk and flour until smooth and no lumps are present.
• Stir milk-flour mixture into soup and stir until well combined.
• Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Gently stir in cream and simmer until heated through (Do not boil).
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve warm with oyster crackers, if desired.

AUNT FAITH'S CLAM DIP

Steps:

• With a fork, mash the cream cheese in a bowl, adding a little bit of the clam juice at a time until smooth. Fold the clams and onions into the cream cheese mixture until evenly mixed. Stir the hot pepper sauce into the dip.