New england clam chowder #07

8 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
¼ pounds Salt pork (up to)
30 larges Quahog clams (up to)
3 tablespoons Butter (up to)
1½ cup Diced onions (up to)
3 cups Finely diced carrots (optional)
1½ pounds Peeled and diced potatoes (about 3 cups)
4 cups Half-and-half -or-
3 cups Milk -and-
1 cup Heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper
Pilot crackers (optional)

Directions

From: Felicia Pickering <MNHAN063@...> Date: Thu, 27 Jun 1996 22:50:48 EDT Note: you can steam open the clams and prepare all the meats the day before you make the chowder. You can also complete the chowder and reheat it the next day.

Cut the salt pork into strips and blanch the strips in boiling water for 5 minutes to remove excess salt. Drain, cut into ¼-inch dice, and set aside. Scrub the clams and squeeze each open one to make sure it closes up when handled. Discard any that do not close. Place the clams in a large stockpot, add 4 cups water, cover, and bring to a boil. Cook just long enough to open the shells, about 5 - 7 minutes. Using tongs, immediately remove the clams that have not opened from the pot. Discard any clams that have not opened in 10 - 12 minutes. Remove the meats, taking care to save all the juices in the shells, and return those juices to the pot. Discard the shells. Carefully and slowly pour the clam broth from the stockpot into a large bowl. Sand from the clams will have settled in the bottom of the pot; be careful not to let any of the sandy broth get into the bowl.

Discard the sandy broth and set the reserved broth aside. (You should have about 8 cups clam broth.) Separate the soft clam bellies from the tougher muscle meat. Chop the soft belly meat into small chunks, place in a bowl, cover with a bit of the broth, and refrigerate until ready to use. (You will have approximately 2 cups chopped clams.) Mince the clam muscles until they are almost a puree. This is most easily done in a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Put the minced clams in the same bowl that already holds the belly meat. (Depending on the size of the clams, you will have 1 - 2 cups minced clam meat.) Place the diced salt pork in a clean 4-quart pot. Cook over moderate heat, stirring often, until the pieces have rendered their fat and are browned and slightly crisp. Remove the crisped pieces and reserve. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat in the pan and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the onions and carrots (if you are using them), and cook about 5 minutes, or until the onions are golden and wilted. Add the reserved clam broth and the potatoes, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, skim off any foam, and cook gently for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the half-and-half and bring to a simmer. Add the minced clams and the chopped clams in their liquid, and cook gently for another 2 - 3 minutes to just heat through. Season with pepper and swirl in the remaining butter. Top each serving with the crisped salt pork pieces and serve with pilot crackers, if desired. Makes 3½ - 4 quarts

Notes/variations: If you prefer to omit the salt pork altogether, use 2 tablespoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil to cook the onions and carrots. Use half evaporated and half regular milk in place of the half-and-half.

Recipe is from _The Victory Garden Fish and Vegetable Cookbook_ by Marian Morash.

EAT-L Digest 26 June 1996

From the EAT-L recipe list. Downloaded from Glen's MM Recipe Archive, .

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