Sunday, April 06, 2014

Manhattan clam chowder

I felt like making some Manhattan clam chowder for lunch, but I didn't want a lot of leftovers, so I cut the recipe back to make two servings.

I made an incredibly fortuitous mistake.  I wasn't paying attention at the store (big surprise) and grabbed a can of diced tomatoes with habaneros instead of plain.

It was awesomely spicy.

So, for posterity, here's my recipe for Manhattan clam chowder

Manhattan clam chowder
   - 2 fairly big servings. (You could reasonably call this 3 servings, 4 would be
          pushing it)

2 strips thick sliced bacon
1/4 c onion, chopped
1/4 c red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 c carrots, chopped
1/4 c celery chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 T Italian seasoning (just oregano would probably be fine)
1/4 c dry white wine (I use Chardonnay)
1/2 c clam juice
1 T fish sauce (you might need to visit an Asian market for this)
1 bay leaf
1 small potato, cubed (about 1/2 c)
1 can (10 oz) diced tomatoes with habaneros (do not drain)
1 can (6.5 oz) chopped clams in clam juice (do not drain)
salt and pepper to taste
fresh parsley, chopped

Fry bacon in heavy skillet until crisp.  Remove, drain, and crumble.
Add onions, bell pepper, carrots, and celery to bacon fat.  Reduce heat to low,
     cover, and cook until tender (about five minutes)
Turn heat to medium, add garlic and Italian seasoning.  Sauté about 2 minutes
Add wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced about half
Transfer to a 2 qt saucepan, add clam juice, fish sauce, bay leaf, potatoes, and
     tomatoes.
Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and let simmer for 30 min.
Add clams and bacon, continue to simmer for about 10 more minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Garnish with parsley and serve.

I ended up eating both servings.
Later,