- 10
- 15 mins
- 60 mins
Ingredients
- 8 pounds small quahogs or large cherrystone clams
- 4 ounces slab bacon, rind removed and diced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 onions, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
- 2 cups heavy cream
- freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Kosher or sea salt, to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped, for garnish
Preparation
Step 1
Scrub the clams and rinse clean. Steam them open by placing them in 2 cups of boiling water in a container with a tight fitting lid. Drain and reserve the broth.
Remove the clams from their shells. You should have 4 cups of broth (and 1 pound of clams). Cover the clams with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated. After they have cooled a bit, dice them into 1/2-inch pieces. Cover again and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
To a 4-6 quart heavy pot over low heat, add the bacon and render it until crisp and brown. Increase the heat. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.
Add the butter, onions, garlic, celery, thyme and bay leaves. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened but not brown, about 10 minutes. Add the potatoes and the reserved clam broth. The broth should barely cover the potatoes. If it Doesn't, add enough water just to cover. Turn up heat and bring to a boil. Cover and cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes, until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center. If the broth hasn't thickened slightly, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pan and cook a minute or two longer, to release the starch.
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the diced clams and heavy cream. Season to taste with pepper. Reheat over low heat until cooked through.
Ladle the chowder into large soup bowls making sure the potatoes, clams and bacon are evenly distributed.
Sprinkle the chowder with the chopped parsley and chives. Serve immediately .