Clam Chowder

Tags

chowder, clam, food, gluten free, main dish, seafood, soup

As soon as this recipe was posted on Taste Food, I longed to make it. It just never seemed to work out though. I’d plan it out, make my grocery list and then the seafood counter would not have clams. I looked all over for celery root (used in the original recipe) and couldn’t find it anywhere, even places like Whole Foods. So instead of insisting that the recipe be exactly replicated, I bent the rules a bit. And you know what? That’s what cooking is all about. I don’t know if this chowder is as good as the original but we really enjoyed it.

Clam Chowder (a variation of a recipe from Taste Food)

• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 slices bacon, cut in 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 medium white turnip, peeled, cut in 1/2-inch dice
• 1 pound small fingerling potatoes, cut in 1/4-inch coins
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 24 little neck clams
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add bacon and fry until the bacon is lightly browned. Add onion and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Add turnip, potatoes, and celery. Sauté until soften, about 3 minutes.  Add milk, cream, stock, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to a boil. Add clams. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until clams open, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with celery leaves.

Fish Chowder

Tags

chowder, cod, cream, fish, gluten free, soup, tilapia

The hubby usually is not a soup fan. “It is not heavy enough,” he says. This chowder, however, did manage to get a stamp of approval.

Fish Chowder (a variation of this recipe from NPR)

• 4 slices bacon, diced
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, microplaned
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme
• 8 to 10 baby potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices or 1/2-inch dice
• 3 cups fish or shrimp stock
• 2 tsp Worchestershire sauce
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless fish fillets
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cook bacon in a heavy soup pot, over low heat, stirring, until beginning to crisp. Add the butter, onions, bay leaves, garlic, and thyme and cook, stirring, until the onions are tender but not browned.

Add the potatoes and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are fork tender. Remove the bay leaves and stir in the fish fillets and cream. Simmer (do not boil!) until the fish is cooked through and beginning to flake, 8 to 10 minutes. The fish will come apart in large chunks. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Garnish with the parsley. Serves 6.