Grandmas Clam Chowder Recipes

WEST COAST CLAM CHOWDER RECIPE:

Steps:

• In a large soup pot over medium heat, saute bacon until crisp and golden brown. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon; drain bacon on paper towels (drain off the bacon fat from the soup pot). Set bacon aside. I do not add the bacon fat back to my clam chowder, but it is your choice!
• Reduce heat to low and add butter and stir until melted. Add onions and cook until they are translucent and soft (about 10 to 15 minutes). Sauteing the onions in the butter is important to achieve the excellent taste. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP. Add flour, salt, and pepper, stirring constantly until well blended. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until sauce comes to a boil and thickens.
• Making a large quantity of clam chowder:
• Since I usually make a large pot (sometimes a couple of pots) of clam chowder for my family, I make a Roux with flour and butter for thickening the chowder to my liking:
• First use some of the butter to saute the onions.
• Then using equal parts of butter and flour, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Whisk the flour and butter together. Cook, stirring, it until the flour/butter mixture are well blended and starts to lose its raw flour smell. NOTE: A good guideline is to use 1 tablespoon of flour for every 2 cups of liquid you have, but adjust to your taste.
• Slowly add the milk to the roux, stirring constantly to blend well.
• My family likes a thinly-thickened chowder, but thicken to your liking.
• Add the cut-up potatoes and simmer approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
• Add the cooked bacon, clams and clam liquid; simmer until thoroughly heated. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper.
• Serve in large soup bowls. I sometimes like to add a dollop of butter on top of each bowl of clam chowder (your choice).
• Serve with crackers or bread.
• Our family likes to serve this clam chowder with Never-Fail Popovers.
• Makes 8 servings.

WILMA'S CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Drain juice from the clams into a medium size pot, set the clams aside. Add water or bottled clam juice. Add potatoes and onions to the pot and cover. Cook over a medium heat until potatoes are soft. Stirring occasionally.
• Add milk, evaporated milk, butter or margarine, parsley, thyme, seafood seasoning, celery salt, salt and pepper to taste, cracker crumbs and clams.
• Simmer until soup is about to boil, be careful not to let it boil. Serve hot.

GRANDMA'S SEAFOOD CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a 6-qt. stockpot, heat 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender, 8-10 minutes. Remove from pot., In same pot, heat remaining butter over medium heat. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; gradually whisk in cream and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir until thickened, 2-3 minutes., Stir in haddock, shrimp, peas and sautéed mushrooms; cook until fish just begins to flake easily with a fork and shrimp turn pink, 5-7 minutes. Add cheese, crab and pimientos; stir gently until cheese is melted. If desired, sprinkle servings with paprika.

GRANDMA'S CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Place the bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat, and cook until crisp. Drain and crumble, reserving about 2 tablespoons drippings in the pot.
• Mix potatoes and onion into the pot with the crumbled bacon and reserved drippings. Cook and stir 5 minutes. Pour in the water, and stir in corn. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover pot. Simmer 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until potatoes are tender.
• Warm the half-and-half in a small saucepan until it bubbles. Remove from heat before it boils, and mix into the chowder just before serving.

GRANDMA'S CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Lay out bacon in the bottom of a large stock pot over low heat. Render bacon slowly until nearly crisp but while grease is still very liquid (about 10 minutes).
• Add onions, carrots and celery and cook until nearly soft. Turn up heat slightly if necessary (about 10 minutes).
• Add potatoes to vegetables and mix well.
• Sift in flour slowly, stirring constantly, until flour and bacon grease make a roux.
• Add salt, pepper and hot sauce.
• Add stock to cover vegetables (no more than 1" over).
• Stir, add bay leaves and bring to a boil.
• When just at boiling, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked through but not mushy (20-25 min.).
• Add clams and increase heat until just boiling then remove from heat.
• Stir in cream.
• Ladle to bowls and garnish with parsley.

CLAM CHOWDER FOR 60

Steps:

• Drain and rinse clams, reserving juice; set aside. In a two stockpots, saute onions in butter until tender. Add flour; stir to form a smooth paste. Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly until slightly thickened (do not boil). Add celery, parsley and potatoes and cook until tender, about 45 minutes. , Add clams and cheese; cook until cheese is melted and soup is heated through. Add the reserved clam juice, salt and pepper.

OLD-FASHIONED CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Pick over clams, discarding any with cracked shells or that feel heavy, an indication they are full of mud. Rinse them under cold running water to get rid of surface grit. If clams are very gritty, set them in a bowl with brine solution and keep cool, or refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Drain clams, and place in a large, heavy soup kettle; add about 1/2 inch water to kettle, and set over medium heat. Cook, uncovered, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until all clams have opened. As they open, remove them from kettle and set aside. (Any clams that fail to open after 10 to 15 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam liquor through several layers of cheesecloth into a 2-cup measuring cup, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set aside.
• Rinse out soup kettle and return to stove top. Add salt pork, pancetta or bacon dice and 1 tablespoon butter, and cook slowly over medium-low heat until dice brown a little on edges. Use a slotted spoon to remove dice from fat. Set aside.
• Add onions to fat and cook, stirring frequently, until soft but not brown. Stir in potatoes, and continue cooking another 5 minutes, until potatoes begin to soften. Add enough water to clam liquor in measuring cup to make 2 cups; pour this over potatoes. Add black pepper and bay leaves.
• Simmer gently, partially covered, until potatoes are tender. Add whole milk and simmer again. Stir in clams and evaporated milk or cream, stirring gently so as not to break open clam bellies. Taste, and add salt if necessary. Let come just to a simmer, and remove from heat. (Do not let chowder come to a full boil.)
• Chowder can be set in a cool place for several hours to develop flavors. Reheat to a simmer (do not let boil), then stir in chives or parsley and remaining butter just before serving. Pass common crackers at the table if you wish.

SEAFOOD CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Saute veggies in butter til soft.
• Turn heat to low and add flour, stir until absorbed.
• Add seafood with juices, and half and half, and bring up to serving temperature or until it thickens.
• Do not let it boil.
• Just below boiling point,it should be thickened, add lemon pepper just before service with a stir.
• Garnish each bowl with fresh chopped parsley, and serve with plenty of garlic toast or oyster crackers.