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A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

clam

It’s chowdah time!

March 6, 2012

Mmmm.... New England clam chowdah!

I’ve always wanted to make my own New England clam chowder.

Chowdah, that is.

None of the red stuff. I don’t particularly care for the Manhattan clam chowder. I like chowdah.

Thick, too.

For the Super Bowl, I decided to give it a go for a small gathering I was going to. I found a recipe that looked somewhat healthy on the Food Network’s website and went at it. It was a recipe by Ellie Krieger and seemed health-conscious, which I liked.

It wasn’t too hard.

But, despite some corn starch at the end, it wasn’t thick enough for my liking. It tasted good. I really liked it. But I wanted it a tad thicker. The recipe called for two pounds of frozen clams, but the store didn’t have them. So I went with canned clams, but unfortunately, they were minced. So no true “bite” of clams.

The people who tried it at the Super Bowl party seemed to like it, so I knew I was going in the right direction.

Round 2 came on Leap Day.

I started later than I probably should have, but the store did have frozen clams this time. However, I wasn’t up for paying $6 per pound knowing that I might not even be able to get them defrosted in time. So I debated options. I went to the canned aisle and saw something better this time — actual clams in a can! Not the minced stuff.

Clams, anyone?

So I grabbed a couple of them.

This time, I also went with the Canadian bacon that the recipe calls for, rather than regular bacon as I used the first time. The reality is that it’s a bit of a garnish — you put it on top of the chowder when done — so either can work. Though, as I found out, the thickness and diced up portions of the Canadian bacon is a bit better with the chowder.

The recipe calls for a total time of 55 minutes (20 prep, 35 cooking), but that differs a little bit it seemed. I guess it all depends on how long the ‘taters take to cook. It also says it will yield six servings, but realize that it’s six large portions. So having a dinner with it might not be the best idea if you want a big ol’ serving of the chowder!

The ingredients called for:

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 4 slices Canadian bacon, diced (2 ounces) (Note: I used five slices)
  • 1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
  • 6 stalks celery, diced (about 2 cups)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper (Note: I used regular salt and pepper)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic (about 3 large cloves) (Note: I used the garlic in a bottle…more of a paste. Worked well)
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
  • 2 1-pound containers frozen clams packed in their own juice, thawed, juice reserved (Note: I used canned and it’s good.)
  • 1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 2 cups cold low-fat (1 percent) milk
  • 2 tablespoons heavy cream (Note: You can use whipping cream, which has less fat and such). 
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Hot sauce (such as Tabasco), for serving (optional) (I did not use).

Now, it was time to cook. Yum. I could taste the delicious chowder all along. Especially the second time when I was having clams that were full.

The chowder cooking.

There’s something to be said about actually getting a clam or two in a spoonful of chowder, ya know?

Directions:

  1. To start, heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add in the Canadian bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp. Then transfer the bacon to a plate. (+/- 3-4 minutes)
  2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, onion, celery, 3/4 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper to the pot and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the veggies have softened. (+/- 6 minutes)
  3. Add the garlic, thyme and cook, stirring for 1 more minute.
  4. Add 1 1/2 cups of water, the clam juice (approx 1 1/2 cups), the potatoes and the bay leaf, bringing the soup to a boil.
  5. Now, partially cover the pot and simmer. Stir occasionally until the potatoes are tender. (+/- 15 minutes)
  6. Whisk the milk, cream and flour in a bowl until the flower is dissolved. Slowly add this to the pot, stirring constantly. Bring the soup to a simmer (no boiling here!)
  7. Reduce the heat to medium low, stirring occasionally, until thickened. (+/- 8 minutes)
  8. Add the clams and simmer 2 more minutes.
  9. Discard bay leave and add salt and pepper to taste.
  10. Before serving, stir in the bacon (and, add hot sauce if you want it).

Side note — I wanted it thicker. So before adding the clams, I also added corn starch a little at a time before getting the thickness I desired. Then I added the clams and went from there.

The end result was awesome.

I’m sure I’ve had much better chowdah — especially in Maine. But this was really good and was something that was relatively easy to make and was really tasty.

The website shows the nutritional facts as:  Per serving: Calories 312; Fat 8 g (Saturated 2 g); Cholesterol 66 mg; Sodium 510 mg; Carbohydrate 33 g; Fiber 3 g; Protein 27 g.

Some of the other ones I had been looking at were WAY worse than that. I also used the whipping cream, so I’m sure these numbers went down a touch, if just slightly.

If you are a chowder fan, I would highly encourage you to try this recipe. It’s a simple and tasty way to enjoy some chowdah!

Fundraiser: I am, again, trying to raise money for the Relay For Life. If you donate to me — even a small amount — you will be entered to win a super-sweet quilted scarf. Click here for all the information!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook! 

Filed Under: food, My world, Photography Tagged With: clam, clam chowdah, clam chowder, clams, cooking, ellie krieger, food, food network recipe, foodie blog, me cooking, new england clam chowdah, new england clam chowder

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