568. RHODE ISLAND CLEAR CLAM CHOWDER

Makes 12 cups; serves 12 as a first course or 6 to 8 as a main course

NOTE: For equipment, you will need an 8-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid (for steaming open the clams), a fine-mesh strainer, a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot (for the chowder), a wooden spoon, a small pot (to warm the milk), and a ladle.


8 pounds small quahogs or large cherrystone clams
2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEl, or other all-purpose potatoes peeled and cut
4 ounces slab (unsliced) bacon (rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch dice into 1/2-inch dice)
2 cups Clam Broth
bottled clam juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Traditional Fish Stock
2 medium onions (12 to 14 ounces) cut into 1/2-inch dice
Chicken Stock or water (as a last resort)
3 stalks celery (6 ounces) cut into 1/3-inch dice
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
6 to 8 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped
Kosher or sea salt if needed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian (1 tablespoon) parsley
2 dried bay leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil (optional)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 to 3 cups whole milk

Scrub the clams and rinse clean. Steam them open. Strain the broth; 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.

Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the bacon. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the bacon is a crisp golden brown. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat, leaving the bacon in the pot.

Add the butter, onions, celery, thyme, bay leaves, fennel seeds, and red pepper flakes, if using, and sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the onions are softened but not browned.

Add the potatoes, the reserved clam broth, and the additional 2 cups broth, and continue to cook over medium heat until the chowder begins to simmer; if it begins to boil, turn down the heat slightly so that it maintains a steady simmer. Cook for about 15 minutes longer, until the potatoes are very tender.

Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the diced clams, and season to taste with black pep- per and the lemon juice. (It is unlikely that you will need to add any salt; the clams usually provide enough.) If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has chilled completely. Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to an hour, allowing the flavors to meld.

When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; do not let it boil. Stir in the parsley, chives, and chervil. At the same time, heat the milk over low heat; do not let it boil.

Ladle the chowder into cups or bowls making sure that the clams, potatoes, onions, and bacon are evenly divided; do not fill the cups or bowls more than three-quarters full. As is customary in Rhode Island, serve the hot milk in a small pitcher so each person can add as much as he or she likes to their chowder, if any.


courtesy of: 50 Chowders, one-pot meals -- clam, corn and beyond, by Jasper White. Scribner, 2000 / Bill the Oyster Man