New England Clam Chowder

New England Clam Chowder

My cousin came out to Maryland to visit my parents, along with a ton of other family members. He is a pescitarian (a person who follows a vegetarian diet with the exception of fish and all other seafood.) So we decided to have dual clam chowders. I certainly loooove this creamy, warm soup, but we also made a Manhattan Clam Chowder for the healthier family members (wink wink: mom and dad!)  It was a complete hit and will satisfy any craving for a warm, cozy dish.

Dad and Mom after their two clam chowders

Ingredients: (Serves 8)

1.5 cups of canned or fresh clams

3 slices of bacon, chopped

1 corn on the cob, shucked

1/2 cup flour

1 small onion, chopped

1 cup white wine

3 large potatoes, diced

1 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning

1 (8 oz.) bottle of clam juice

3 bay leaves

1 cup heavy cream

4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

4 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1 - Take corn on the cob, and grill cob. (feel free to do this in a dish with a little oil to crisp up the kernels.) You can prep the corn in the microwave or leave it extra crunchy in the soup. 

2 - Cook bacon in a large stock pot until crisp.

3 - Add chopped onions to the bacon, cook for about 5 minutes, until translucent.

4 - Place flour into pan. Using whisk, cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring until base is thick and tan.

5 - Add in 1 cup of white wine, slowly whisking it in.

6 - Add diced potatoes and clam juiced to the pot.  The liquid should cover the potatoes. (If needed, use extra water or stock.)  Add the bay leaf, and Old Bay, then bring to a boil.

7 - Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add cooked corn removed from the husk. Cook for 5 more minutes until the potatoes are almost cooked.

8 - Add clams. Cover and cook for about 8-10 minutes, until the clams open up.  (feel free to remove some clams from their shells, but make sure to leave some for presentation purposes.)

9 - While clams are steaming, heat 1 cup of cream in a small pan until hot (but not boiling.) 

Cousin, Richard, adding the cream to his soup

10 - When potatoes are cooked, stir in the heated cream, thyme and parsley.  Adjust salt and pepper. 

Serve with oyster crackers or toasty bread.