Corn-and-Cod Chowder
Contributed by Quick From Scratch Fish & Shellfish
- SERVINGS: 4
- FAST
With its all-American ingredients, this New England-style chowder is a comfort-food classic. The soup needs only bread, or traditional oyster crackers, as an accompaniment.
- 1/4 pound sliced bacon
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup bottled clam juice
- 3/4 pound boiling potatoes (about 2), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 1 rib celery, chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon dried red-pepper flakes
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 2 cups fresh (cut from about 3 ears) or frozen corn kernels
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- In a large pot, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and crumble when cooled.
- Add the butter and onions to the pot. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the water, clam juice, potatoes, celery, red-pepper flakes, and salt and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Return the bacon to the pot. Add the corn, milk, and cream and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the cod and pepper. Bring back to a simmer and cook until just done, about 3 minutes longer.
Notes Fish Alternatives Use a relatively firm, mild fish that won’t disintegrate in the soup, such as pollack, orange roughy, or ocean perch.
HOG ISLAND CLAM CHOWDER
Makes 6 – 8 servings
I’ve been part of the Hog Island Oyster family since it was founded more than 35 years ago. Besides oysters, Hog Island also grows Manila clams, a small sweet clam that is good both raw and cooked. Hog Island selected to raise this clam especially for their acclaimed clam chowder, served at their San Francisco, Marin and Napa oyster bars.
When developing Hog Island’s chowder recipe, co-founder John Finger gave the chef strict instructions to use only fresh clams — and no flour to thicken it. “Where I grew up, nobody puts flour in the chowder’. The result is a fresh-tasting, creamy broth surrounding a mass of tiny, sweet clams.
1/2-pound high quality bacon, sliced thinly
1 cup celery, thinly sliced
3 cups leek, white part only, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 cups carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
3 large sprigs fresh thyme
2 tablespoons butter
5 cups Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size cubes
6 pounds small, fresh Manila clams in the shell, scrubbed
1-quart heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish
First step: place clams in a colander in the kitchen sink, rinse thoroughly under running water. Pick through and discard clams with broken or open shells. Allow clams to drain in the sink while you prepare your stock.
BASE: In a large stockpot bring about 5-6 cups of water to a low boil (no salt) and cook the potatoes until al dente, or just before fork-tender.
While the potatoes are simmering, in a second heavy-bottom pot, melt the butter with the thyme. Render the bacon in the butter and thyme (over low heat, careful not to burn); once bacon is rendered add leeks and celery, cook until vegetables are translucent. Add carrots and cook until bendable without breaking. Add the potatoes and 4 cups of potato cooking water. Turn off heat and set aside. The base can be made one day ahead and kept chilled.
CLAMS: Portion your clams out per single, or double serving, approx. 1/2 -3/4 pound per serving. Working in batches, place one or two single serving(s) of clams in a heavy bottomed sauté pan over medium heat. Ladle one cup of the chowder base on top and cover the pan, simmer for about 5-6 minutes, or until most clams open. Skim through and pick out any clams that have not opened. (Don’t skip this step — unopened clams may spoil the chowder.)
Add in 1/2-cup cream per serving and bring the chowder to a simmer (1-2 minutes). If it is too thick, add in more of the potato water. When the chowder is bubbling in the middle, it is ready to serve. Pour individual servings into a large soup bowl or divide double servings between two bowls.
Serve garnished with cracked pepper and chopped parsley, and rustic, crusty warm bread for dipping. Place extra empty bowls on the table for discarding clamshells. Enjoy!
Manhattan Clam Chowder
8 to 10 servings
You either like Manhattan clam chowder or you don’t. James Beard famously called it “horrendous.” But the chowder has its fans — the acidity of the tomatoes helps temper the salinity of the broth, and offers a pleasing sweetness besides. Green peppers and carrots add to the effect, and the garlic and red-pepper flakes speak to New York’s immigrant past. It is certainly not a new development in the long history of clam chowder. Recipes for similar red-hued versions date back to the days of Delmonico’s in the late 19th century.
24 medium-size quahog clams, usually rated ‘‘top neck’’ or ‘‘cherrystone,’’ rinsed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
¼ pound slab bacon or salt pork, diced
1 large Spanish onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 large ribs celery, cleaned and diced
1 medium-size green pepper, diced
2 medium-size carrots, peeled and diced
Red-pepper flakes, to taste
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes in juice, crushed or roughly diced
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped parsley.
Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set those aside as well.
Rinse out the pot, and return it to stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium-low. Add bacon or salt pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pork has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove pork from fat, and set aside.
Add onions, garlic, celery, green peppers and carrots to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft but not brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Stir in potatoes, and continue cooking until they have just started to soften, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Add 4 cups of clam broth, reserving the rest for another use. Add the sprigs of thyme and the bay leaf.
Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Using the back of a wooden spoon, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot to release their starch and help thicken the broth.
Meanwhile, chop the clams into bits that are about the size of the bacon dice.
When potatoes are tender, stir in tomatoes, and heat them through. Add chopped clams and reserved bacon, stirring to combine. Add black pepper to taste. Let chowder come to a simmer, and remove from heat. Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.
The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.
Joyce 3 years ago
I liked this recipe, because I was just able to slam it together. I added a can of Muir Glen Fire roasted tomatoes at the same time as the chicken broth and clam broth, after sauteeing the veggies. I just sauteed them all together, adding the potatoes after a bit. Simmering everything now…and oh, I’m just using canned baby clams, will add them once the brothy part is done. So, sue me. This is a great recipe with the right flavors, and even someone like me can make a great clam chowder!
Len from Sonoma 3 years ago
Wonderful chowder.
As good as the old Lundy’s in Sheepshead Bay.
Add 1/2 pound chopped clams, if your fish market carries them.
Makes the chowder very luxurious.
I use this recipe, minus the clams, for fish chowder. Just prepare the chowder without clams and add diced fish in the last 3 to 5 minutes. Striped bass works best but I have used scallops and shrimp too.
39 This is helpful
Eleanor 3 years ago
I never add the green pepper. Its bitterness dominates the taste of the entire dish. Otherwise, it’s my favorite chowder recipe.
TOMATILLO, CORN AND SALMON CHOWDER
Serves 4
This healthy Mexican-inspired soup is very simple, delicious, and quickly put together. To get even more corn flavor, simmer the corn cobs in the stock for a few minutes. Discard them before adding stock to recipe. Fresh poblano chiles are widely available (and often wrongly called pasilla in many supermarkets).
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups sliced onion
1 tablespoon thinly slivered garlic
1 teaspoon oregano, preferably Mexican
1 large poblano chile, stemmed seeded and cut into large dice
2 teaspoons seeded and chopped serrano chile, optional
5 cups or so cups low salt, defatted chicken stock
3 cups tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and cut in half or quarters if large
1-pound skinned, and boned salmon fillet cut into 1-1/2 inch squares
3 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 cup or more fresh or canned diced, seeded tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup cilantro sprigs
In a soup pot add the oil and over moderate heat cook the onions, garlic, oregano and chiles until just beginning to color, about 6 minutes. Add the stock and tomatillos and simmer for 5 minutes or so until vegetables are just tender.
Add the fish and corn and continue to simmer until fish is just cooked through, about 3 minutes. You can add a bit more stock if needed to cover the fish. Add the tomatoes, season to your taste with salt and pepper. Divide the avocado and cilantro among 4 bowls. Ladle hot soup over and serve immediately.
JB 6/20