Sarges Clam Chowder Recipes

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water and drain well. Tip the clams into a large pan with 500ml of water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the clams have just opened. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander over a bowl to catch the clam stock. When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from their shells - reserving a handful of empty shells for presentation if you want. Strain the clam stock into a jug, leaving any grit in the bottom of the bowl. You should have around 800ml stock.
• Heat the butter in the same pan and sizzle the bacon for 3-4 mins until it starts to brown. Stir in the onion, thyme and bay and cook everything gently for 10 mins until the onion is soft and golden. Scatter over the flour and stir in to make a sandy paste, cook for 2 mins more, then gradually stir in the clam stock then the milk and the cream.
• Throw in the potatoes, bring everything to a simmer and leave to bubble away gently for 10 mins or until the potatoes are cooked. Use a fork to crush a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pan to help thicken - you still want lots of defined chunks though. Stir through the clam meat and the few clam shells, if you've gone down that route, and simmer for a minute to reheat. Season with plenty of black pepper and a little salt, if needed, then stir through the parsley just before ladling into bowls or hollowed-out crusty rolls.

SARGE'S NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a 12-quart stockpot, tightly pack the quahogs, then the steamers, and finally the razor clams. Add 6 cups cold water, wine, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Cover, and place over high heat, and cook until clams open, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cook the salt pork in a medium skillet over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until browned, about 10 minutes. As rendered fat accumulates, pour into a heatproof glass measuring cup. Transfer pork to a plate lined with paper towels, reserving all rendered fat; set aside. Wipe out skillet with a paper towel; add bacon. Cook over medium heat until cooked through, but not crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to a second plate lined with paper towels; set aside.
• When the clams have opened, pour cooking liquid into a large saucepan, leaving any sediment behind. Set a few steamers and razor clams aside for garnish. Remove the meat from the remaining clams. Remove the siphons from the steamers; discard. Cut meat into 1-inch pieces, being careful not to sever the stomachs of the quahogs.
• In a clean stock pot, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add potatoes and cook until they begin to soften, about 20 minutes. Add onions, fennel, and garlic; cook 5 minutes. Add butter and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Continue cooking for 5 minutes more.
• Add 6 cups of the reserved cooking liquid, rendered fat, heavy cream, dill, and chopped clam meat. Cook 10 minutes. Add bacon, and continue cooking for 20 minutes. Add steak sauce, old bay, capers; season with salt and pepper. Using the back of a large spoon, mash about half of the potatoes to break them up into smaller pieces. Cook for 10 minutes; stir in Worcestershire sauce. Adjust flavor using sugar, as desired.
• Continue cooking for about 30 minutes. Place reserved razor clams and steamer clams into bowls, ladle over soup, placing a pat of butter in the center of each bowl. Serve garnished with salt pork cracklings, chives, parsley, and crackers, as desired.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER I

Steps:

• Place diced bacon in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp; add onions, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
• Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; stir clams and 1/2 of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil.

SARGE'S CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Scrub the clams and rinse well. Keep the kinds of clams in their own groups. Put a very large steamer pot on the stove and add 6 cups of water, the wine, bay leaves, and peppercorns and bring to a boil. First, layer in the quahogs, then arrange the steamers over that. Top with the razor clams, but if there is no room, cook them in the next batch. Cover and cook over high heat until boiling and the clams open, about 15 minutes. With tongs, transfer them as they open to a couple of large bowls. When all the clams are cooked, let cool slightly, and while working over another medium bowl, pull the meat from all the shells, leave the two tough pink muscles on each side of the shell, and drop in the bowl, saving all of the juices. Set a strainer over a large bowl and strain the clam juices from the pot. Pour slowly, stopping when you reach grit at the bottom. Measure out 6 cups of the clam juice and freeze the rest for another use.
• Meanwhile, in a large heavy pot, cook the salt pork over medium-high heat, stirring, until crisp, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the salt pork to paper towels to drain and pour the fat into a separate small bowl. Add the bacon and cook over medium heat until cooked through but not too crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain, leaving 1/4 cup of the fat in the pot. Add the olive oil and potatoes and cook over medium heat, stirring a few times, until the potatoes begin to soften and are golden, about 20 minutes. Add the onions, tomatoes, fennel, and garlic along with the butter and thyme and cook, stirring a few times, until softened, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pull the skin from the long necks of the steamer and razor clams and discard. Cut the clams into strips and leave the bellies whole. Cut the solid parts from around the quahogs into 1/2-inch pieces and leave the bellies whole. You can reserve a few whole steamers and razors for garnishing the chowder.
• Add the 6 cups of clam juice to the pot and stir well to blend with the potatoes and onions. Stir in the reserved fat from the salt pork, the heavy cream, dill, and the clam meat and simmer for 10 minutes. Use a wooden spoon or fork and periodically, as the potatoes soften, crush them against the side of the pot, to thicken the soup. Add the bacon and cook for 20 minutes. Then add the steak sauce, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce, and capers, and simmer gently for about 35 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaves. Season the chowder with salt and pepper if necessary, and ladle into bowls. Serve with a pat of butter and the salt pork cracklings. Garnish with herb sprigs and serve.