Another New England classic I sampled in Boston, was clam chowder. This warming seafood soup has an intense flavour profile, combining sweet almost briney clams, with smokey and salty bacon, all rounded out by a rich velvety cream base.
Clam chowder has been a staple in this part of the world for some time but one of the most surprising historical tidbits I picked up, is that the addition of tomatoes (like in a Manhatten clam chowder) is more than just a matter of taste, it’s a matter of law. So serious are New Englanders about their chowder that in 1939 a bill was introduced to Maine legislature, outlawing the addition of tomatoes to any chowder. Serious stuff.
To be honest, while some seafood can taste great with tomatoes, it can also be overwhelming to the more delicately flavoured varieties of seafood. Therefore I’m all for this (admittedly crazy) ban and will be making my chowder the way it was meant to be eaten; thickened with a roux, potatoes and double cream.
The clams themselves are trickier as they are not readily available in the UK. So I suggest one of three options when selecting your seafood.
1. Get the real thing if you are lucky enough – even canned, brined clams are passable.
2. Use a combination of shucked mussels and Queens scallops. The former provides the texture, the later the sweetness.
3. Keep it really simple and use a pack of mixed fish pie filling (smoked haddock, cod and salmon).
Level: medium
Methods: roux, seafood preparation
Skills: boiling/simmering
Time: 1 hour
Makes: 6 portions
Ingredients
150g bacon, diced or lardons
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped into semi circles
1 large onion, finely diced
1 stick of celery, chopped
3 bay leaves
1tbsp chopped fresh thyme
60g plain flour
350g white potatoes, peeled and medium-diced
800ml stock (fish or vegetable are best)
400ml double cream
250-300g clams/seafood (cooked or defrosted as appropriate)
2tbsp finely chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Method
1. In a heavy stock pot or saucepan, fry the bacon over a medium high heat. The idea is to render out the fat, leaving just crispy nuggets of bacon.
2. Next stir in the leeks, onions and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
3. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Stir in the flour to make a roux and allow to cook out for a few minutes more.
4. Add the potatoes. Stir in the stock and bring the liquid up to a boil.
5. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender – this should take around 12 minutes.
6. Add the double cream, taking care to keep the temperature low so it does not split.
7. Add the clams (or any other seafood) and simmer for 2-4 minutes until cooked through.
8. Stir in the parsley.
9. Ladle soup into shallow bowls and serve.
Mastication / Destination 