Christmas Chowder Recipes

CHRISTMAS EVE CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, uncovered, 7-9 minutes or until tender. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup potato water., Meanwhile, in another large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add celery, carrots and onion; cook and stir 6-8 minutes or until tender., Stir in flour until blended; gradually stir in cream and reserved potato water. Bring to a boil; cook 2-3 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add clams, seasonings and potatoes; heat through.

CHRISTMAS CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute the onions, celery, red and green peppers in 4 Tbsp of unsalted butter, stirring constantly, until onion is translucent, or about 5 minutes.
• Add the diced potatoes and broth, bring to a boil. Then turn down the heat, cover pan, and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are just tender.
• Cream flour and melted butter together and set aside.
• Add corn, cream, and seasonings; mix well and then heat until small bubbles appear around the edges (scalding point).
• Add flour and butter mixture to the pan, bit by bit, stirring well after each addition. Simmer until thickened.
• Serve immediately with a sprinkle of parsley or freshly ground nutmeg. Can also be made ahead of time and kept warm in a crock pot.

CHRISTMAS CHOWDER

Steps:

• Pour 1 inch of water into a pot large enough to contain all the lobsters. Bring the water to a full boil. Remove the bands from the lobsters' claws and place them on their backs over the boiling water. Cover the pot tightly, and steam over high heat about 3 minutes. Quickly remove the lobsters from the pot and chill them rapidly by plunging them into a basin filled with ice and water. Set a wire strainer over a mixing bowl. Twist the tails off the lobsters over the strainer to catch their juices. Shell the lobster tails and claws over the strainer. Cut the tails into 4 quarters, leave the claw and knuckle meats whole, and reserve the lobster meat in a refrigerator.
• Peel the potatoes, split each into 4 wedges, and slice the wedges into 1/2-inch slices. In a large non-reacting soup pot, cook the diced bacon over moderate heat until golden and nearly crisp. Pour off all but about a generous tablespoon of the fat. Add the diced leeks, stir, and cook about 2 minutes. Add the potatoes, stir, cover the pot, and continue cooking over moderate heat, stirring frequently to prevent browning, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes depending upon the potato variety and the thickness of the slices. (Chef's Note: I like to mash some of the potatoes with a fork to give the chowder a luxurious but rustic texture, but good mealy potatoes, such as russets, will release some of their substance into the broth, and this step may be unnecessary.) Add the strained lobster juices and enough water, lobster or fish stock, to just cover the vegetables. Simmer 4 or 5 minutes. Keep the chowder base hot as you prepare the lobster meat and cream enrichment.
• Heat the butter in a wide skillet. Add the lobster meat, season with black pepper, and saute over moderate heat 3 or 4 minutes until the meat is firm, opaque, and pink. Pour in the heavy cream, and rapidly bring it to a simmer. Pour the lobster and cream mixture into the chowder base, and stir gently to combine. Taste for seasonings, and adjust with sea salt (preferably from Maine), plenty of fresh-milled black pepper, and a pinch of chipotle or cayenne pepper. Off heat, cover the pot and allow the chowder to ripen for 15 or 20 minutes before serving. Ladle into warmed soup plates, and sprinkle snipped chives over each serving. Accompany with plenty of warmed common crackers.
• Serving Suggestion: Crackers .
• * Chef's Note: Don't attempt to use half-and-half--it tends to curdle.

CHRISTMAS CLAM CHILI CHOWDER

Steps:

• Cook the bacon and remove from pan, reserving the drippings.
• Saute the onions and fresh Thyme on a medium heat in the bacon drippings, till the onions are translucent, but watch the heat. Fresh Thyme burns easily. Then, add 1/3 cup of the Chicken stock and simmer the onion/thyme mixture, covered, to further bring out the flavor, until all the liquid cooks off.
• Using a large, heavy saucepan, or stockpot over medium heat, blend the olive oil and flour to create a sauce, but turn down the heat, flour burns easily. Stir constantly until browned and bubbly. Mix in garlic, and cook about 1 minute.
• Gradually stir in the chicken broth and red wine vinegar into the sauce mixture. Bring to a gentle boil to allow the vinegar to cook down but still stirring constantly.
• Now add in the fresh tomatoes, canned tomatoes, okra, Rotel, red chile peppers, cooked rice, Cajun seasoning, and the Onion/Thyme mixture to the stockpot and simmer everything for at least 40 minutes on a low heat, stirring occasionally.
• Crumbled bacon, cooked andoulle sausage and clams are the last ingredients to be added, and then simmered for 20 minutes more.
• Once the soup is ladled into bowls, sprinkle black pepper, and place some fresh Thyme leaves on top as a garnish.