Surprise Clam Chowder Recipes

BOSTON CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Dice bacon and cook in a Dutch oven or large stockpot over medium heat. Stir occasionally and cook until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and place on a paper towel-lined plate. Add butter to the bacon drippings.
• Chop celery ribs, onion, and potatoes. Set the potatoes aside. Mince garlic.Add the chopped celery and onion to the butter and bacon drippings. Saute over medium heat until the onions are soft, 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute.
• Add the potatoes, clam juice, chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, and black pepper to the stockpot. Turn heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
• In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup of half and half and mix until smooth. Gradually pour the flour mixture into the soup. Turn heat up to medium and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir for 1-2 minutes, until the soup has thickened. Discard bay leaf.
• Add the remaining half and half and the clams. Cook until heated through. Do not boil.
• Taste and add additional salt and pepper, if desired. If you want a thinner soup, add additional chicken broth or cream.
• Serve into individual bowls, top with bacon crumbles and chives, and serve with oyster crackers.

MY FAVORITE BOSTON CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Drain the clams and reserve the liquid. In a large pot, place the vegetables and pour the claim juice over the top. Add enough water to barely cover the vegetables.
• Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are almost tender (don't overcook them in this step!), about 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, making a roux with a wire whisk. Constantly stirring, add the half-and-half slowly. Cook and stir until smooth and thickened, without boiling.
• When slightly thickened, add the roux to the vegetables and add the clams, salt, vinegar and pepper (to taste). Can keep warm (without boiling!) for a up to an hour or serve immediately.

SURPRISE CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the first seven ingredients. Cover and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add ham and clams; heat through.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add onions and saute until tender. Add vermouth to deglaze pan, and reduce a little. Strain clams and reserve juice. Add clam juice and reduce a little, and then add cream and reduce by half. Add salt, pepper, and sugar to taste. Add potato soup and bring to a simmer. Add clams and cook just until clams are warm. Taste for seasoning, and add truffle oil, if using. For garnish, add brioche croutons or serve in sourdough bowl. Top with chopped parsley.;

CLAM AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large stockpot over moderate heat. Saute the onions for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, corn and potatoes and saute 2 minutes longer. Pour in the clam juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the white wine to a boil in a large saucepan and reduce by one-third. Add the clams, cover and steam, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams open up, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard any that do not open. Remove the cover and let the clams cool in the pot. When cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the shells, reserving the juice, and chop the clams. Set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid.
• Add the tomato, red pepper and jalapeno to the soup pot and cook over low heat an additional 10 minutes. Strain the reserved cooking juices and clam juice through a fine kitchen towel or coffee filter into the soup. Add the chopped clams and cook 10 more minutes. Stir in the cilantro, lime juice and pepper. Taste for salt, since the clams may be salty, and serve steaming hot.