There are two ways to make clam chowder. I don't mean White and Red (or New England and Boston, if you like), but canned and fresh.
This is the easy way. I still haven't tried fresh, but I will. And you will hear about it here.
The recipe comes from my
Oregon Cookbook, which I bought at Crater Lake, and for sentimental reasons is one of the first places I look when I want to make something and haven't decided yet what it will be. The recipe itself is theirs; the pictures and commentary are mine.
Oregon coast clam chowder
4 slices bacon, diced
1 T pan drippings (I've never measured this; I just cook the bacon, then throw the veggies in on top and assume I have the right amount)
1.5 C chopped onion
1/4 C flour
1/4 C grated carrot (I'm lazy, and I like my fingertips, so I just thinly slice the carrot. It works.)
1/4 C chopped celery
3 C peeled, diced potatoes (still lazy--I use yellow potatoes and don't bother peeling them. But I do wash them well)
1 t salt
1/8 t pepper
2 cans (8 oz) chopped clams, drained, reserve liquid. (the cookbook is not specific about whether those cans are 8 oz each, or total. I assume each, and err on the side of more clams.)
1 C evaporated milk
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| I feel like these colors are indicative of a specific flag, but I can't figure out which one. |
This is where my version diverges slightly from the book's. We both cook the bacon until lightly browned, but then they drain the pan (except for the 1 T drippings mentioned above), and I've never had so much bacon grease in the pan that I thought that was necessary, even though I hardly ever stop at 4 strips of bacon. Do what you want. It's cooking, not a nuclear reactor.
Add the onion and saute until translucent. Stir in the flour; it will combine with the remaining drippings and form a roux, which will help thicken things later. Dump in the rest of the veggies and seasonings. Stir well.
Add enough water to the reserved clam juice to get 3 C. Stir it into the veggie-bacon medley, bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let it boil gently, uncovered, for twenty minutes. Stir occasionally. Check potatoes for done-ness.
Add clams and cook another five minutes. Stir in milk and heat through.
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| Soup's on! |
If you want my opinion, this should always be served with some hot bread or rolls. Popovers are a popular choice in our apartment, and by happy coincidence their baking time coincides nicely with how long it usually takes to make this soup (after everything has been cut up).
