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Sabroso - Winter2008
FROM THE SEA
By Jane Steele
Photography by Marty Snortum Studio
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Who doesn’t like clam chowder? It is satisfying on so many levels that just one bowl makes everything seem better. The addition of leeks adds richness to the soup that you just don’t get from onions. Cream is essential, but you don’t have to add a ton of it. Bacon is what makes it so good and the whole family will come in to see you as it pops away in the pot. This recipe calls for a cold day, a football game and a pack of people determined not to leave the house. You can rest easy in the knowledge that the hardest part of this dish will be keeping people away from it until it’s ready. So put on your slippers and sloppy shirt and get to chopping. This is what winter days are made for.
Clam and Leek Chowder
Serves 6 to 8
• 2 8-oz cans of clams plus juice
• 3 bottles clam juice
• 3 cups cold water
• 3 medium gold potatoes, 1⁄4-inch dice
• 3 large leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced in half and into thin slivers
• 5 slices bacon, diced
• 1 tsp fresh or dried thyme
• 1⁄2 cup sherry
• 11⁄2 cups half-and-half or heavy cream
• 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped for garnish
1. Cook the bacon in a medium heavy bottomed
soup pot until brown and crispy. Remove and drain on towel. Take out a bit of the grease with a paper towel, but leave enough in to cook the leeks and potato.
2. With heat on medium-high, add leeks and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and thyme and cook 1 to 2 minutes more. Add water and clam juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add clams, cream and sherry. Season as needed with salt and pepper. Cook until heated through, never allowing to boil, about 3 minutes.
3. Spoon into bowls, top with bacon and garnish with chopped parsley.
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