webmztriss

Yield: 1 gallon

My first experience with making clam chowder was in the mid-80s at the Coonemessett Inn. The Cooney serves true Yankee cuisine with few twists. This was my third or fourth cooking job and I learned a ton in this production kitchen.  Chef Carl Johnson’s chowder was quaqhogs, onions, potaotes and salt pork and that’s about all. While Carl’s was thickened in the traditional manner, by adding flour to the onions and rendered salt pork, another chef I met at the time, Steven Telford updates the classic by pureéing some of the potatoes to thicken. Both are briny, rich and no nonsense chowders. Years later, when I lived in Provincetown, I’d go clamming with my pal Zöe Lewis.  Zöe sometimes brings me a few pounds when she visits … except that one time when she left them on the bus!

Ingredients:

8 lbs. quahogs or cherrystone clams, scrubbed and rinsed
4 slices bacon, diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups finely chopped yellow onions
6 sprigs fresh thyme leaves
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup wondra flour
3 cups 1/2-inch cubed, peeled potatoes, about 1 1/4 pounds
6 cups quart whole milk
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1 1/2-teaspoon pieces
1/4 cup minced parsley leaves or chives

Method:

1. In a large stockpot bring 2 cups of water to a boil
2. Add clams, cover and cook until clams are opened.
3. Transfer the clams to a large bowl and strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, being careful to strain out the sand. (You should have about 6 cups of clam broth. If not, add enough water to bring the volume up to 6 cups.)
4. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove them from their shells and chop into 1/2-inch pieces or grind with coarse blade of meat grinder.
5. Set clams and broth aside.
6. In a large heavy pot cook the bacon until crisp and the fat is rendered.
7. Pour off all bacon fat except 2 tablespoons.
8. Add the butter, onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
9. Add the thyme, bay, salt and pepper, and cook until the vegetables are thoroughly wilted, about 3 minutes, do not to brown.
10. Add flour, cook 5 more minutes.
11. Add the potatoes and reserved clam broth, and bring to a boil.
12. Lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the broth thickens slightly and the potatoes are cooked.
13. Stir in clams. Bring to a simmer and cook 5 minutes.
14. At this point you have “chowder base”. You can refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.
15. To serve, heat base with milk slowly, being careful not to bring to the boil. Garnish with chopped parsley or chives.