Shucked raw, soft-shell clams may be called "fryers" or "frying clams." Adding 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cornmeal helps expel the dark matter and sand from the clams' stomachs and can also whiten the meat. Add the potatoes and the reserved clam broth. A divine inspriation! My usual recipe is very similar to this one, but uses a quart of half & half and no water or clam juice. Photo © 2000, 5 pounds small to medium soft-shell clams (steamers), 4 ounces meaty salt pork, rind removed and cut into 1/3-inch (8-mm) dice, or bacon cut into 1/2-inch pieces, 1 large onion (10 to 12 oz), cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) dice, 2 stalks celery (4 oz), cut into 1/3-inch (8-mm) dice, 2 to 3 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and chopped (1 teaspoon), 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold, Maine, PEI, or other all-purpose potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) dice, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream (up to 2 cups if desired), 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves. Quickly but gently place the clams in the pot and cover again. Garnish with fresh chopped chives or oyster crackers. Everyone loved it -- including the kids! Whole soft-shell clams are often referred to as "steamers," because that is the way they are most often prepared. this is an awesome chowder recipe. Remove clams from pot with a slotted spoon. When I photographed the bowl, the chowder was three days old, and it was incredible. I also prefer steamers not chopped littlenecks or quahogs. Hate tons of emails? A friend had given us some fresh dug Ipswich steamers that the majority were too big to eat as steamers (HUGE bellies). Soft-shell clams are native to the Atlantic seaboard from Cape Hatteras to the Arctic Ocean, but they have been transplanted to the West Coast and can be found there from San Francisco to Vancouver, Canada. water in a small bowl to form a slurry. Move the clams around again, then transfer them back to the clean pot. Put the 2 cups water in an 8-quart pot, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and add the diced salt pork. It is unbelievably good. That way, I save a few dollars and get a fantastic broth in the process. Rinse the first pot and fill it again. Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the pork is crisp and golden brown. This recipe is for the traditional New England style clam chowder. I never did any clamming — fishing was my thing — but I have a vivid memory of the muddy flats at low tide, feeling the soft-shell clams under my feet and seeing their tiny sprays coming out of the mud as they burrowed down to get out of my way. 2. Cook no longer than 2 minutes for whole baby clams and n more than 1 minute for chopped clams. This cured the problem and the clams were grit-free when placed in the chowder. Place a colander over a large bowl. With large soft-shell clams, the siphon is very chewy and must be removed, but with small ones, it's less noticeable and the little specks of black at the tip give an unusual and interesting appearance to the chowder. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Condé Nast. When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don't let it boil. Ladle soup into bowls and top with reserved bacon and celery leaves. Add enough water to cover. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cracklings to a small ovenproof dish, leaving the fat in the pot, and reserve until later. All the flavors had time to nestle in together. Add two cups of water. Thank you! Soft-shell clams have two oval shells, about two to three inches long, that gape along the edges. Remove the pot from the heat. Substituting a little more butter instead of the pork fat is fine, and doesn't take away too much. Scatter the cracklings over the individual servings and sprinkle with the chopped parsley and minced chives. Get the recipe | A Beautiful Plate. And if that weren’t enough, I always stirred in a pound or so of grated mozzarella just before serving. I prefer a cream-based chowder that’s loose. And we’re thrilled to hear you fancy this one as much as we do! When the clams are cool, remove them from the shells and cut off the siphons, as well as the protective skin that covers each siphon, and discard. This will be the base of your chowder. And sometimes we would just wash and eat right out of the shells. However, I do not add the cream to the whole batch. Discard … Looking forward to hearing which recipe on the site, chowder or otherwise, that you try next! Buy the smallest steamers possible; the very large ones are even more delicate and their bellies break open easily, giving the chowder an undesirable green tinge. In Maine, where I now live, I have 2 cans of good quality whole belly clams in the cupboard. After 4 minutes, remove the lid and quickly stir the clams with a wooden spoon, trying to lift some of the clams from the bottom to the top so they will cook evenly-but be gentle, the shells are very brittle and crack easily. Serve, allowing diners to add … I have made it four times, and the only thing I do differently is leave the bacon in, rather than crumbling it over. Remove the clams and strain the broth; you should have 4 cups. Attach it below. Clams with Tomatoes, Basil and Blue Cheese. Once your roux is made, add in the cream sherry and then your stocks, clams, and herbs to the soup. 5. You can have fresh soft-shell clams shipped directly to you*, but they are very delicate—expect to find many with cracked shells. I'm going to use this recipe in our restaurant and see what others have to say. Start by steaming your cleaned clams in a small amount of water (1/2-1 cup depending on the amount you are making). It’s Labor Day, 2017. very good, very easy. Add the wine and let cook for a couple of minutes to combine the flavors. Steamers are available by mail order from Captain Marden's Seafoods, Inc. (781) 235-0860. Leave grease inside the pot and add garlic, onion and celery to the pot. Continue to steam/cook … Being from Massachusetts, I was weaned on this! To remove the sand before cooking, cover the clams with a saltwater solution of 1/3 cup salt to 1 gallon of water. Steaming Mussels. Add cornmeal, and stir to thoroughly … When the clams are cool, remove them from the shells and cut off the siphons, as well as the protective skin that covers each siphon, and discard. Hello! CHOWDERS AND STEWS: Minced, chopped, and whole baby clams add a pleasing bite to a bowl of chowder or seafood stew.Some recipes call for a combination of canned and fresh clams, such as in this Manhattan-s tyle chowder.This creamy Clam Chowder with Corn includes instructions for using canned in lieu of fresh. Steamed mussels and cod and shrimp are on the menu for this chowder. After steaming the clams, I discarded the bellies and chopped up the remainder. Let boil until clam shells open. 4. (The broth will most likely overflow just as the clams have finished cooking.) To celebrate the difference, I use salt pork instead of bacon in steamer chowder, I don't add garlic, and I use fewer herbs and seasoning, letting the luscious little clams provide most of the flavor. Remove the clams and strain the broth; you should have 4 cups. I’ve been using Jasper White’s 50 Chowders for years. I once owned a summer cottage on Sawyer's Island in Maine. Cover and heat to high. Add clams; steam 7 to 8 minutes or until shells open. Toss clams that haven't opened. Cover pot and bring to a boil. Steamer clam chowder is our idea of the perfect chowder. Put the 2 cups water in an 8-quart pot, cover, and bring to a rolling boil. If you do not you are wasting a very tasty part of the clam. It is very easy, but a bit time consuming. Originally published October 15, 2009.–Renee Schettler Rossi. Powered by the Parse.ly Publisher Platform (P3). They were so wonderful no matter what we did with them! This helps to remove the sand from the clams. If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder. Of course, the broth needed to be strained again. Great recipe, except…yeah, sorry, you recommend cutting off the necks, and I would not, or at least wouldn’t throw them away unless very large clams; in which case, those necks would probably be too tough, but in small to medium clams, I think they are a delicious addition to your chowder! Mine was definitely not meaty, but it really did add a depth of flavor to the chowder that was wonderful. Turn the heat down to medium and allow the clams to steam until they have opened, about 5 minutes. The best chowder is made from fresh clams! You can now find various regional variations of chowder across the country, including Manhattan Clam Chowder. Bring this sucker to a boil to ensure it becomes nice and thick before adding the potatoes in and cream. The best steamers are found at lobster or other seafood vendors along the coast, who keep them in tanks. Pick through the clams, and discard any that are broken, fully opened or partially opened. We lived just outside of Boston and every summer we would vacation on Cape Cod where we get dig our own clams or quohogs. I prefer to steam whole soft-shell clams for chowder. We would never go as far as to say that this is the definitive recipe for steamer clam chowder—those would be fightin’ words—but we will say it’s a recipe that holds its own. The black neck is all sweat meat. Stir in the reserved 1-1/2 cups clam liquid, one 8-ounce bottle clam juice (or 1 cup chicken broth), 2 cups cubed red potatoes (2 medium potatoes), 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. (The broth will most likely overflow just as the clams have finished cooking.) Place steamers in a large bowl. There is no better clam chowder than this one! A thick, chowder made from clams, potatoes, onions, bacon and milk or cream. Melted butter, wine, or chicken stock will work. I'll definitely make this again. To steam the mussels, place them in a pot with about 1 cup of water. 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