BOSTON-STYLE CREAMY CLAM CHOWDER
For this classic chowder, dried thyme is more traditional than fresh, but feel free to use either. If you have fresh clams, scrub 5 to 6 pounds and steam them in 4 cups of water just until they open, 5 to 10 minutes. Then scrape out the clam meat and chop into pea-size pieces. Pour the cooking liquid into a glass measuring cup, let any sediment settle, and pour off 3 cups of the clean broth to use in place of the bottled clam juice.
Chopped hard-shell clams (with their liquor) can be found fresh or frozen in the seafood section of most supermarkets. Bottled clam juice is usually shelved with the canned fish in the supermarket.
4 oz. salt pork or bacon, cut into ½-inch dice or ground in the food processor (about 1 cup) 4-6 Tbsp. butter, plus more if
needed 1 large onion, chopped 1 large celery stalk, thinly
sliced 3 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 3 cups bottled clam juice 2 cups water, plus more if
needed 1 lb. all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups) 2 tsp. dried thyme or 2
tablespoons chopped fresh 1 bay leaf, broken in half 3 cups chopped hard-shell
clams with their liquor 1 ½ cups heavy cream Salt and freshly ground black
pepper 3 Tbsp. chopped flat-leaf
parsley
Cook the salt pork or bacon with the butter in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cooked bits with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve. If you don’t have 8 tablespoons of fat in the pot, make up the difference with additional butter.
Add the onion and celery and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the clam juice and water and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking until smooth.
Add the potatoes, thyme and bay leaf, and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the clams and cream, cook for 5 minutes, and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the chowder sit at cool room temperature for at least an hour or, better yet, refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheat over low heat, adding more broth cream, or water if the chowder is too thick. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parsley and pass the reserved pork bits (reheated in the microwave) for sprinkling on the chowder if desired. Serves 4-5. — From “Chowderland: Hearty Soups & Stews with Sides & Salads to Match” by Brooke Dojny (Storey Publishing, $14.95)