Classic Chowder's

Clam Chowder is always a favorite wherever you happen to live. It is easy to make, and all the ingredients are available at almost every grocery store. Chowder is great any time of the year, but it is especially appreciated during the winter months.

Clam Chowder is a very regional type of thing. New England is and thick, and white. It is your basic white chowder that is served in varying degree's of thickness. It's usually dominated more by potatoes than clams

Traditional Manhattan which is made with tomato and is looked down upon by New Englander's who swear tomatoes do not belong in chowder. They like to call it vegetable clam soup.

Rhode Island is clear meaning that it is dairy and tomato free. Clear chowder is revelation because there is nothing there to cover up or take away from the taste of the sea.

I grew up with a pink and creamy Manhattan chowder at the long gone Wharf Restaurant at Fishermen's Terminal in Seattle. I've never seen it duplicated so the recipe probably died with the restaurant. I try to modernize and recreate it below.

Down in New Orleans they make a Tasso and Crawfish Chowder which is stunning but there is no denying that it is more of a gumbo town.

Clam Chowder took on its own identity in the Pacific Northwest during the 1980's. Duke Moscrip of Dukes is probably the father of it. He introduced it at Ray's Boathouse and took it with him when he left to create Dukes.

Northwest Chowder has some spice and heavy cream to it. It isn't thick like the chowders back east. The ingredients simply bathe in a cream, clam, and herb both. Bacon, dill, and an abundance of clams are the secrets.

If you have a Costco in your area buy your canned clams there, huge can, great quality, and they are full of juice so you do not need to buy the extra bottle of clam juice!

If you are on one of the coasts you might be tempted to steam your own clams, and it does make great clam juice. In the Northeast they prefer Quahogs, out West, Geoduck's, or Razor's are the gourmet choice. I have made great chowder with fresh Manilla clams, but the real deal is you can make fantastic chowder with canned seas clams and nobody is going to know the difference except for one thing....the clam juice.

I always steam a dozen manilla, or other small clam to get the fresh juice. Steaming a clam is easy, use either beer, or wine, a little garlic, dill, and butter.

Seattle is really a true Chowder capital. Ivar's, Skippers, Spud's, Totem House, and Dukes are my favorites. Totem House is thick like wallpaper paste, and smoky with bacon. Ivars' Skipper's, and Spud's are most definitely New England, while Ray's Boathouse, and Duke's Chowder House are the classic Northwest style.

Northwest Style Clam Chowder

People in Seattle like their chowder thin swimming in heavy cream. Adjust the amount of thickness by varying the amount of flour in the recipe. Always remember that it is clam chowder not potato chowder. Clams, and bacon should dominate the chowder, not the potato's. Northwesterner's often add a few dashes of Tabasco to taste when they are served.

A rule of thumb on spices....always do it to taste, you might like more, or less than I do, so keep adding as you go throughout the process till you have it to your liking.

12 oz can of chopped clams
Clam Juice 1 1/4 cup
Red Potatoes 1/2 lb diced
Bacon 1 Lb
One Lg Onion diced
Celery 3 stalks diced
Flour 1/2 cup
Thyme 1 tsp
Chopped Parsley 2 tsp
Italian Spice 3 tsp
Fresh Basil 2 tsp
Garlic 4 Cloves Crushed
Cayenne Pepper To Taste
Bay Leaves 2 Leaves
Dill 2 tsp
Seasoning Salt to Taste (Lawry's, Johnny's, or Old Bay)
Sea Salt To Taste
Black Pepper To Taste
White Pepper Pinch
Old Bay Seasoning Mix To Taste
Heavy Whole Cream 4 cups
Half and Half 1/2 cup
Butter 3 oz

Dice one pound of bacon and fry in the soup pot till browned and drain. Add chopped garlic, chopped onion, chopped basil, and chopped celery, all the spices, and cook in the bacon drippings. Once onions are translucent add flour and butter to make the roux. Cook the roux for five minutes to get rid of the flour taste. Add clams, clam juice, and stir to make the base of the chowder. Let the flavors meld for at least an hour. Add dairy products, and let reduce to desired thickness before serving. Season to taste as necessary.

Salmon Bay Fisherman's Wharf Style Manhattan

When I was growing up in Seattle there was a restaurant at Fisherman's Terminal called the Wharf. It was a childhood favorite of mine and they made the best version of Manhattan/Long Island Chowder I have ever had. This is a recreation of how I remember it.

12 oz chopped clams
Clam Juice
1 1/4 cup Partially peeled Russet Potatoes
1/2 lb diced Bacon
1 Lb Onions
One Lg onion diced
Celery 3 stalks diced
Flour 1/3rd cup
Thyme 1 tsp
Chopped Parsley 1 tsp
Italian Spice 2 tsp
Fresh Basil 4 tsp
Garlic 8 Cloves Crushed
Tabasco Sauce To Taste
Bay Leaves2 Leaves
Dill 2 tsp
Salt To Taste
Pepper To Taste
White Pepper To Taste
Old Bay Seasoning Mix To Taste
Heavy Whole Cream 1 cup
Crushed Tomatoes 1 Lg Can
Butter 3 oz

Dice one pound of bacon and fry in the soup pot till browned and drain. Add chopped garlic, chopped onion, chopped basil, and chopped celery, all the spices, and cook in the bacon drippings. Once onions are translucent add flour and butter to make the roux. Cook the roux for five minutes to get rid of the flour taste. Add clams, clam juice, and stir to make the base of the chowder. Let the flavors meld for at least an hour. Add tomato's and simmer one hour. Add dairy products, and let reduce to desired thickness before serving. Season to taste as necessary.

Crawfish and Tasso Chowder

This recipe comes from New Orlean's, and I have only made it once when I happened to have some Crawfish Tails in the freezer. If you don't happen to have any crawfish tails lying around you can always substitute baby prawns. Tasso is great stuff if you can find it. I have a butcher shop in Chicago that makes there own Tasso, and Andouille. If you can't find Tasso dice up some Canadian Bacon, or Ham and throw a lot of blackening powder on it, and cook it on high till it carmelizes on the ham. Then use it for your recipe.

½ c. Salad oil
½ lb. Bacon, diced
1 cup Tasso, finely diced
1 Large Onion, diced
3 Celery stalks, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 ea. Red and Green Peppers, diced
2 ears Corn, remove kernels from ears
1 Tbs. Tarragon, Thyme, Kosher Salt
1 ½ Tbs. Garlic, minced
2 tsp. Fresh cracked black pepper
1 ea. Bay leaves, 1 pinch Cayenne pepper
½ c. White wine
¼ c. Worcestershire sauce, 2 dashes Tabasco
1/2 gal. Shrimp stock or broth
1 c. Blonde roux
1 qt. Heavy cream
4 c. Crawfish tails, pre-cooked
3 ea. Russet potatoes, cubed and par-boiled Method:

Heat oil in a medium stock pot, add bacon, sauté 3 to 5 minutes or until bacon is slightly crispy. Add Tasso, onions, celery, carrots and peppers, sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Add corn, garlic, herbs, and spices, sauté another 2 to 3 minutes. Deglaze with white wine, Worcestershire, and Tabasco, simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add shrimp stock, bring to a boil then whisk in roux, stirring well, so no lumps form. Turn down heat and simmer for 5 minutes, add heavy cream, crawfish, and strained potatoes. Simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. Season to taste.