Soup Essentials Versatile Chowder Base Recipes

THE CHOWDER SOUP BASE

Steps:

• Sauté the pork or bacon bits slowly with the butter in a large saucepan for 5 minutes, or until pieces begin to brown. Stir in the onions and bay leaf; cover, and cook slowly 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are tender. Drain off fat and blend crackers or bread crumbs into onions. Pour in the liquid; add the potatoes and simmer, loosely covered, for 20 minutes or so, until the potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt and white pepper, and the soup base is ready.
• Chowder suggestions: New England clam chowder
• For about 2 1/2 quarts, serving 6 to 8. Scrub and soak 24 medium-size hard-shell clams. Steam them for 3 to 4 minutes in a large tightly covered saucepan with 1 cup water, until most have opened. Remove the opened clams; cover, and steam the rest another minute or so. Discard any unopened clams. Pluck meat from the shells, then decant steaming-liquid very carefully, so all sand remains in the saucepan; include the clam-steaming liquid as part of the chowder base. Meanwhile, mince the clam meats in a food processor or chop by hand. Fold them into the finished chowder base. Just before serving, heat to below the simmer-so the clams won't overcook and toughen. Fold in a little heavy cream or sour cream if you wish; thin with milk if necessary, correct seasoning, and serve.
• Fish chowder
• Prepare the chowder base using fish stock (page 5), and/or light chicken stock (page 4), and milk. Cut into 2-inch chunks 2 to 2 1/2 pounds of skinless, boneless lean fish, such as cod, haddock, halibut, monkfish, or sea bass, all one kind or a mixture. Add to the finished chowder base and simmer 2 to 3 minutes, just until fish is opaque and springy. Correct seasoning, and top each serving, if you wish, with a spoonful of sour cream.
• Chicken chowder
• Substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts for fish, and make the chowder base with chicken stock and milk.
• Corn chowder
• Prepare the chowder base using 6 cups of light chicken stock and milk. Stir 3 cups or so of grated fresh corn into the finished base, adding, if you wish, 2 green and/or red peppers chopped fine and sautéed briefly in butter. Bring to the simmer for 2 to 3 minutes; correct seasoning, and top each serving, if you wish, with a spoonful of sour cream.
• To Prepare Clams
• Scrub one at a time under running water, discarding any that are cracked, damaged, or not tightly closed. Soak 30 minutes in a basin of salted water (1/3 cup salt per 4 quarts water). Lift out, and if more than a few grains of sand remain in the basin, repeat. Refrigerate, covered by a damp towel. Use them within a day or two.
• Note
• You may leave out the pork and substitute another tablespoon of butter for sautéing the onions.

SOUP ESSENTIALS: VERSATILE CHOWDER BASE

Steps:

• 1. PREP/PREPARE
• 2. You will need a good heavy-bottom pot with a lid to make this recipe, like a Dutch oven.
• 3. Can This Soup Be Frozen? Absolutely, freeze away; however, you want to leave two things out: The seafood, and diced potatoes. Then, go ahead and freeze into batches (I like to do serving sizes). Then, when you are ready, defrost, warm up, follow the steps from 26 to the finish, and Bob's Your Uncle.
• 4. Seafood? I designed this base primarily for seafood; however, as it evolved, I discovered that it was awesome all by itself, as a vegetable chowder, and when I added my Aunt Josephine's Italian meatballs, it just blew my tastebuds away. This is truly a versatile chowder/soup base. I served this the other day outdoors for a little Do I had arranged. The base was in a big pot with a ladle, and next to it were small pots on warmers one with shrimp, one with scallops, and one with meatballs. Folks picked up a bowl and decided whether to go veggie, or add some seafood, meatballs, or both. I had a bowl of grated parmesan and the reserved diced bacon at the end of the line for a garnish; along with crusty bread, oyster crackers, and a bowl of balsamic-tossed salad.
• 5. The Bacon I love the flavor that the bacon imparts to this recipe; especially, if you use the hickory-smoked variety. However, if you do not want to use it, then sub about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and two tablespoons of sweet butter, unsalted.
• 6. The Limes This recipe calls for the juice of two large limes, plus the zest of one lime. I find it a whole lot easier to zest a lime before squeezing it. That may sound obvious; however, I have made that mistake more than once.
• 7. Gather your ingredients (mise en place).
• 8. THE BACON
• 9. Chop up the bacon and add to a pot over medium heat.
• 10. Allow the bacon to slowly cook, render its fat, and get crispy, about 8 - 10 minutes.
• 11. Remove, drain on paper towels, and reserve.
• 12. If you do not have a lot of rendered bacon fat in the pan, you may need to add a bit of olive oil or butter. You want about 3 tablespoons of fat, total.
• 13. THE VEGGIES
• 14. Prep all your veggies. Chop, chop, chop.
• 15. Add all the veggies, except the minced garlic, to the pot with the fat.
• 16. Reduce heat to medium low, and allow the veggies to slowly cook, until the onions are soft and translucent. At no time should the veggies be allowed to brown. At low heat this process should take 30 - 40 minutes. Stir on a regular basis.
• 17. Increase heat to medium, add the garlic, and stir for about 60 seconds.
• 18. THE DRY INGREDIENTS
• 19. Add all the dry ingredients.
• 20. Stir to combine for about 1 - 2 minutes.
• 21. THE WET INGREDIENTS
• 22. Add all the wet ingredients and bring the base up to a simmer.
• 23. Place the lid on, slightly askew to allow some steam to escape, and lightly simmer, for 25 - 30 minutes.
• 24. At this point you can stop the process and freeze it in serving size proportions. If properly stored, it should last 2 - 3 months.
• 25. If you are ready to eat this chowder, then move on to the next step.
• 26. FINISHING TOUCHES
• 27. Add the taters and give them a head start on the seafood, by simmering for about 5 - 8 minutes.
• 28. Then, add the seafood, wine, a dash or two of hot sauce, then simmer for an additional 5 - 8 minutes.
• 29. The seafood should be cooked thru, and the taters nice and fork tender.
• 30. PLATE/PRESENT
• 31. Top with some grated parmesan, or use a softer cheese, like a provolone, and stick it under the broiler for a few minutes. Sprinkle with some of the reserved bacon, then serve while nice and hot. Enjoy.
• 32. Keep the faith, and keep cooking.