Rich Clam Chowder
I came across a chowder recipe I liked several years ago and have made just enough changes to give it a unique flavor...and feed a pretty large crowd. People always go back for seconds, then ask for the recipe.
I came across a chowder recipe I liked several years ago and have made just enough changes to give it a unique flavor...and feed a pretty large crowd. People always go back for seconds, then ask for the recipe.
- 3 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 6 cups diced peeled red potatoes
- 3 large onions finely chopped
- 6 celery ribs finely chopped
- 6 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) minced clams
- 1-1/2 cups butter cubed
- 8 cups half-and-half cream
- Carbohydrate 6.93397084805868 g
- Cholesterol 32.2909091182062 mg
- Fat 10.0883085705472 g
- Fiber 0.701394881251809 g
- Protein 3.0010571940544 g
- Saturated Fat 6.26482116699418 g
- Serving Size 1 1 servings (1 cup each). (163g)
- Sodium 47.3121105850007 mg
- Sugar 6.23257596680687 g
- Trans Fat 0.529508971592077 g
- Calories 128 calories
Step-by-step
- In a stockpot, combine the potatoes, onions, celery and water. Drain clams, reserving juice; set clams aside. Add juice to potato mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
- Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook and stir for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Gradually stir in cream. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Gradually stir into potato mixture.
- Add the vinegar, parsley, salt, pepper and clams. Cook 5-10 minutes longer or until heated through.
Cooking for a large group requires managing stockpot volume and heat distribution efficiently, and this recipe handles that constraint by using canned protein that bypasses the extensive cleaning required by fresh bivalves. Swapping canned minced clams for fresh shell stock fundamentally alters the liquid profile, eliminating the need to purge grit in salt water while shifting the oceanic flavor profile toward a more concentrated, shelf-stable salinity. Fresh clams contribute natural liquor with live marine bacteria and briny complexity, whereas canned varieties rely on sterilization liquids that taste distinctly more metallic unless balanced properly. Whisking the butter and all-purpose flour over medium heat for precisely five minutes cooks out the raw starch flavor, creating a blond roux that must reach a boil for two full minutes to activate the thickening starches fully before the dairy goes in. Achieving the correct velvety viscosity depends entirely upon this initial roux-thickening stage, because failing to cook the flour long enough leaves a pasty mouthfeel that no amount of half-and-half cream can mask.
