Waltham Clam Chowdah Recipes

CONTEST-WINNING NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute celery and onion in the drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes., In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes., Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). Crumble the cooked bacon; sprinkle over each serving.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• First, shuck the clams and remove the bellies. Clean the clams and then chop them into small pieces. Put to the side until ready to add to the pot.
• Heat the butter in a stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the celery and sweet onion and cook, mixing often, until they begin to soften. Next, sprinkle in the salt, black pepper and seafood boil seasoning. Add the self-rising flour to make a roux. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the clams and clam juice.
• Meanwhile, cook the bacon and finely chop. Add to the pot. Add the potatoes along with the scallions. Stir to combine. Lastly, add the milk and half-and-half. Stir to warm. Serve in a bowl with parsley as a garnish.

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water and drain well. Tip the clams into a large pan with 500ml of water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the clams have just opened. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander over a bowl to catch the clam stock. When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from their shells - reserving a handful of empty shells for presentation if you want. Strain the clam stock into a jug, leaving any grit in the bottom of the bowl. You should have around 800ml stock.
• Heat the butter in the same pan and sizzle the bacon for 3-4 mins until it starts to brown. Stir in the onion, thyme and bay and cook everything gently for 10 mins until the onion is soft and golden. Scatter over the flour and stir in to make a sandy paste, cook for 2 mins more, then gradually stir in the clam stock then the milk and the cream.
• Throw in the potatoes, bring everything to a simmer and leave to bubble away gently for 10 mins or until the potatoes are cooked. Use a fork to crush a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pan to help thicken - you still want lots of defined chunks though. Stir through the clam meat and the few clam shells, if you've gone down that route, and simmer for a minute to reheat. Season with plenty of black pepper and a little salt, if needed, then stir through the parsley just before ladling into bowls or hollowed-out crusty rolls.

WALTHAM CRAB CHOWDAH

Steps:

• Boil 2 ears of corn on high with a teaspoon of sugar for 8 minutes. Remove from water, cut kernels off the cob, and set aside for later.
• Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onions and leeks and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent.
• Add the celery (minus the leaves), potatoes, thyme, Old Bay seasoning, salsa, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 more minutes. NOTE: I made pomegranate salsa previously, so that's what I used.
• Cook bacon until crispy, saving the grease. Pat bacon dry and chop finely, then add to the pot. Add the corn kernels and bacon grease to the pot and stir to thoroughly coat the vegetables. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Add the seafood stock, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. NOTE: I used a teaspoon of lobster boullion with a cup of water instead of the last cup of stock, but the ingredient list didn't recognize it.
• In a small pot, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the cornstarch. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. The cornstarch will turn into a paste, so you may have to switch to a spatula, scraping the paste off frequently as you stir. Whisk in a cup of the hot broth and then pour this mixture back into the cooked vegetables.
• Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened.
• Check the crab meat for shells and remove as necessary.
• Add the celery leaves, milk, and crab and heat gently for a few minutes. Cook until the potatoes are soft. Taste and salt and pepper as needed. Serve hot.

CHOWDAH!!

Steps:

• In a saucepan saute the salt pork and onions until onions are slightly translucent, and salt pork is cooked. Add the rest of the veggies, and clams with juice, and clam juice. You may need more clam juice, just enough to cover veggies. Bring to a boil.
• In the meantime, in another saucepan, melt the butter with the flour and stir together. In a small cup, stir the cornstarch together with 3 tbsp of cold water. Add the half and half to the butter mixture, then add the cornstarch mixture , stir in the milk. Bring to a simmer to thicken stirring well.
• When veggies and potatoes are done , add to the white sauce mixture, and heat through.
• Serve with oyster crackers and enjoy!

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.

WALTHAM CLAM CHOWDAH

Steps:

• Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onions and leeks and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent.
• Add the celery, potatoes, thyme, hot sauce, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 more minutes.
• Cook 4 strips of bacon until crispy, saving the grease. Pat bacon dry and chop finely, then add to the pot. If desired, also add the bacon grease and stir to thoroughly coat the vegetables.
• Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.
• In a small pot, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the cornstarch. Cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. The cornstarch will turn into a paste, so you may have to switch to a spatula, scraping the paste off frequently as you stir. Whisk in a cup of the hot broth and then pour this mixture back into the cooked vegetables.
• Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened.
• Add the milk and clams and heat gently for a few minutes. Cook until the potatoes are soft. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.