Manhattan Clam Chowder

[TanyaK]

Does anyone have a great Manhatten Clam Chowder recipe ? And I have whole clams - how long before serving should I add them?

 

[VeraBlue]

Saute onions, garlic, celery and carrots in a bit of oil with dried oregano, basil and thyme, just to sweat them. Add chopped tomatos and cook down a bit.

Stir in white wine, about 1/2 cup for 8 servings. Add about a gallon of water and 2 c. clam juice. If you can get your hands on seafood or clam base, 2T would enhance the flavour.

Bring this to a slow simmer for about an hour.. Add 2C diced, cooked red potatoes, the clams, 1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, S&P to taste. If you feel the soup is too thin, thicken it with a bit of corn starch blended with water, then bring the whole thing back to a boil for a minute.

Add red pepper flakes to taste. Serve with thick italian bread.

 

[TanyaK]

Thanks Vera - sounds great. Don't have clam juice though- can't say I've ever seen it in the shops around here - so I think I'll have to use chicken broth instead - don't cringe In fact as I don't have clam juice and my clams are very small I think I'll just add mixed seafood and make a seafood chowder based on the recipe you've posted. Thanks!

 

[BreezyCooking]

That recipe looks good, but will those diced potatoes cook in just 1 minute? I'm sort of doubtful about that.

Also, I'd steam those clams open separately first, strain the broth to use in the soup, then remove the clam meat from the shells & add them - either whole or chopped depending on their size. I wouldn't add them to the soup in their shells. Not only can that add gritty sand to your dish (regardless of how well you clean them), but frankly it's a real pain in the you-know-what dealing with seafood still in the shell in soup.

 

[Jeekinz]

Tanya, you could steam the clams seperate using some white wine, lemon, herbs and maybe a little water. The clams will leak out their juice into the pan and the shells add for a real flavorful broth. Strain and use that in place of the clam juice. Then when the soup is done add in the cooked clams right before serving.

 

[TanyaK]

Thanks guys- have put seafood back in freezer as I'm back to making "proper" clam chowder again - without chicken broth. Clams are steaming - how long should I steam them for - how much should they open ? Can you tell I've never done this before ?

 

[Jeekinz]

They just open about half way. 5-6 minutes or so.

 

[TanyaK]

Thanks - bad news is that they are the smallest clams I've ever seen so I'm going to have to use the mixed seafood - good news is that the clam shells made an amazing stock !

 

[Jeekinz]

Use that broth in the soup as the clam juice and you'll be fine. I'm not sure how the mixed seafood would go though. You'll have good clam flavor even though there isn't too much clam meat in it.

 

[VeraBlue]

That recipe looks good, but will those diced potatoes cook in just 1 minute? I'm sort of doubtful about that.

Also, I'd steam those clams open separately first, strain the broth to use in the soup, then remove the clam meat from the shells & add them - either whole or chopped depending on their size. I wouldn't add them to the soup in their shells. Not only can that add gritty sand to your dish (regardless of how well you clean them), but frankly it's a real pain in the you-know-what dealing with seafood still in the shell in soup.

My suggestion regarding boiling for a minute is after the optional additional of corn starch. I assumed , and correctly, I believe, the original poster understands that.

 

[VeraBlue]

Thanks Vera - sounds great. Don't have clam juice though- can't say I've ever seen it in the shops around here - so I think I'll have to use chicken broth instead - don't cringe In fact as I don't have clam juice and my clams are very small I think I'll just add mixed seafood and make a seafood chowder based on the recipe you've posted. Thanks!

Small clams are great, and different seafood in the chowder is fine. If you use the water you steam the clams in, remember to strain it so you eliminate any sand. If you don't have a strainer fine enough....and don't gag....you can use a clean pair of stockings.

 

[MexicoKaren]

Oh Vera, your recipe sounds wonderful. I am going to make it on the first day it is cool enough to eat soup! I love New England Clam Chowder and make it really well (if I do say so myself), using James Beard's old recipe. But DH does not care for cream-based soups...this is the answer for my clam cravings, and I think he'll really like it. Thanks a bunch.

 

[pacanis]

I think it sounds great, too. And I knew you meant 1 minute to thicken, but I didn't see a cooking time after you add the clams, potatoes and the rest..... Or if you had originally figured on adding cooked clams, or whole raw ones like the OP, Tanya has. If they are cooked would they need to be in as long as the potatoes?

Thanks. I want to clear my confusion and print this out

 

[VeraBlue]

I think it sounds great, too. And I knew you meant 1 minute to thicken, but I didn't see a cooking time after you add the clams, potatoes and the rest..... Or if you had originally figured on adding cooked clams, or whole raw ones like the OP, Tanya has. If they are cooked would they need to be in as long as the potatoes?

Thanks. I want to clear my confusion and print this out

Diced potatoes take no more than 15 minutes to cook in simmering liquid. That's plenty of time for clams to cook. They could go in during the last 10 minutes of cooking, but unless you added seafood stock or clam juice, you won't get much of their flavour into the soup in that short an amount of time.

 

[pacanis]

Diced potatoes take no more than 15 minutes to cook in simmering liquid. That's plenty of time for clams to cook. They could go in during the last 10 minutes of cooking, but unless you added seafood stock or clam juice, you won't get much of their flavour into the soup in that short an amount of time.

Thanks. I was guessing around 15 minutes, but wasn't sure.

 

[MexicoKaren]

Add 2C diced, cooked red potatoes

Hey guys - the potatoes are already cooked, right????

 

[TanyaK]

I also precooked the potatoes so cooking time for that wasn't an issue. The soup came out really nice. I've never actually had New England or Manhattan Clam Chowder - have never ever seen it on a menu here- so I'm not sure whether it tasted "authentic" - but it was very good. Another thing to put on my things to do one day : Have Manhattan clam chowder in Manhattan and New England Clam Chowder somewhere in New England

 

[VeraBlue]

Hey guys - the potatoes are already cooked, right????

If you cook the potatoes in the soup, the starch will thicken the soup. If you add them cooked, you may need to thicken the soup a bit.

 

[BreezyCooking]

Sorta looks like my potato-cooking question wasn't so farfetched or taken for granted after all, was it Vera?