Windjammers Clam Chowder Recipes

CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Drain the clams, adding the juice from the cans to a large stock pot. Set the clams aside.
• Add chicken broth and diced potatoes to the pot (the liquid should just barely cover the potatoes). Bring to a simmer, add the bay leaf, and cook until the potatoes are barely fork tender, about 5-6 minutes.
• While the potatoes cook, in a second pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers and garlic and cook until tender, about 4-5 minutes.
• Stir in the flour and cook for 30 seconds. Gradually stir in the milk and half and half, whisking as you add them to break up any clumps of flour. Bring mixture to a simmer and cook until the thickened, about 5 minutes
• Stir the creamy mixture into the potatoes. Stir in the salt, pepper, vinegar, and reserved clams. Cook for 5 more minutes.

WINDJAMMER'S CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Have fish market open clams and reserve juice.
• Separate clams from juice and chop clams coarsely.
• Meanwhile, boil diced potatoes 5 to 10 minutes until done but still firm. Drain and reserve potatoes.
• Saute onion in butter, cooking over low heat until transparent. In a saucepan combine onion, cream, milk and clam juice. Heat until almost boiling.
• Add Worcestershire sauce and chopped clams. Simmer about 3 minutes until clams are just cooked through.
• Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Add potatoes and dill. Serve immediately.

CONTEST-WINNING NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute celery and onion in the drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes., In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes., Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). Crumble the cooked bacon; sprinkle over each serving.

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.

THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set aside as well.
• Rinse out the pot, and return it to the stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium-low. Add bacon or salt pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pork has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove pork from fat, and set aside.
• Add the leeks to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes and wine, and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and the potatoes have just started to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add enough clam broth to just cover the potatoes, approximately 3 cups, reserving the rest for another use. Add the thyme and the bay leaf.
• Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the clams into bits about the size of the bacon dice.
• When potatoes are tender, add cream and stir in chopped clams and reserved bacon. Add black pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer, and remove from heat. (Do not let chowder come to a full boil.) Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.
• The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it to a bare simmer before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.

JIM'S NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Dice the salt pork into small cubes.
• I usually slice it into a grid while it is still attached to the skin, then slice across the skin where it attaches to the fat and the cubes pop off easily.
• Sauté the salt pork in a large 5 quart non stick sauce pan.
• When the cubes are golden brown strain them from the rendered fat onto a paper bag to drain.
• Save 4 tablespoons of the liquid fat from the salt pork,then wipe out the sauce pan with a paper towel.
• Put the fat back in the sauce pan.
• Dice the large onion into small pieces.
• Slice the 3 ribs of celery lengthwise then dice it into small pieces.
• Place the diced onion and celery into the heated pork fat and sauté until the onions are opaque and the celery is a bit soft.
• Pour the entire can of clams (broth and all) into the onion/celery mixture and bring to a simmer.
• Place the rosemary into the clam broth mixture.
• Peel the Maine potatoes OR scrub the red bliss potatoes.
• Then cut them into 3/4-inch cubes--I like them a bit chunky--and soak them in cold water for about five minutes.
• Take the stick of butter and melt it in a small sauce pan.
• Add the 3 tablespoons of flour to the melted butter and stir until well blended.
• Drain the potatoes and place them into the clam mixture, simmer until al dente.
• Next, pour the 2 cups of milk into the simmering clam broth mixture and bring back to a simmer.
• Lastly, swirl the butter/flour roux into the chowder and simmer for about 10 more minutes until the chowder thickens.
• Remove the rosemary and serve this chowder in big bowls with oyster crackers and the pieces of golden brown pork fat, salt and pepper to taste.
• NOTE: I don't like my chowder too thick so you may have to adjust the butter/flour mixture.
• You may skip the butter and use a low-fat margarine.
• You may also substitute skim milk too (or skip the milk altogether, this is called Point Judith/Rhode Island style!).
• You may even skip the whole pork fat thing for a healthier recipe.
• This chowder is so hearty that it stands up well to "healthier alternative" substitutions.

MY BEST CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender.
• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil.
• Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.