Clam Chowder
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Growing up on the Olympic Peninsula, we routinely took the ferry across the Puget Sound to Seattle… or to just about anywhere else. Ferry rides were simply a routine part of our life. When I think of clam chowder I think of those countless ferry rides we took back and forth, and the famous Ivar’s chowder {always with oyster crackers} served aboard the ferries, and throughout Seattle and the greater Puget Sound area.
Though I grew up in the Pacific Northwest where clam chowder is a staple comfort seafood, I had never made it until this fall. After recently making a southwestern corn chowder I decided to attempt real chowder, that is, the clam chowder that comes to mind whenever I hear the word “chowder”. I followed Simply Recipe’s chowder as a guide, making some adaptations, including using half and half instead of cream. I realize that Ivar’s and all of the other famous chowder places use heavy cream, but my family thought the half and half made it plenty hearty, rich and creamy.
- 1 pound clams (roughly)
- 1-2 cups water or clam broth (made from steaming the clams)
- 2 Russet potatoes, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 2-4 strips of bacon, chopped
- 1 purple onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 cup half and half
- 2+ Tbsp flour
- Salt & Pepper, to taste
- Dash of paprika, optional
- Parsley, chopped or torn into small pieces
- Rinse the clams and scrub them if necessary to remove any excess dirt or mud on the outside.
- Place them in a bowl, cover them with water and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove them from the bowl and discard any clams that are chipped, broken or open (and do not close when touched).
- Place the clams in a medium-sized pot and add water to reach about half the height of the clams.
- Bring the clams to a boil and let them simmer and steam, covered, for 5-10 minutes or until the clams open.
- Discard any clams that do not open.
- Remove the clams from the broth and let them cool.
- Save the broth for the soup, straining it through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any grit/debris, if necessary.
- Scoop the clams out of the shell and chop them into small pieces.
- In a large pot, cook the chopped bacon until the fat renders and the bacon starts to brown a little.
- Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until tender for several minutes.
- Cover the mixture with several tablespoons of flour, depending on how thick you want the soup.
- Pour in the white wine and stir until the flour thickens.
- Add the potatoes and carrot, and then add the clam broth.
- Cover the pot and bring it to a boil, and then reduce it to a simmer, letting the potatoes cook for 20 minutes or until tender.
- Stir in the clams and the half and half and let the soup simmer, seasoning to taste with salt, pepper, paprika, and parsley.
Tags: chowder, clams, homemade clam chowder, homemade soups, seafood chowder, soup
Mon, Oct 14, 2013
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