Recipe Clam And Corn Chowder Matthew Jennings

CLAM AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Cook bacon in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until slightly browned but not crisp. Chop white and pale green parts of scallions (reserve greens) and add to bacon along with 1 tablespoon butter. Cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in corn, potatoes, clam juice, water, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and bring to a rolling boil, uncovered. Add clams and return to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until clams are just opened wide, 5 to 8 minutes (discard any clams that remain unopened after 8 minutes).
• Chop 1/2 cup scallion greens and add to chowder along with milk, cream, and remaining tablespoon butter. Cook, stirring, until heated through (do not let boil). Season with salt and pepper.

CLAM AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large stockpot over moderate heat. Saute the onions for 10 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, corn and potatoes and saute 2 minutes longer. Pour in the clam juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the white wine to a boil in a large saucepan and reduce by one-third. Add the clams, cover and steam, shaking the pan occasionally, until the clams open up, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and discard any that do not open. Remove the cover and let the clams cool in the pot. When cool enough to handle, separate the meat from the shells, reserving the juice, and chop the clams. Set aside. Reserve the cooking liquid.
• Add the tomato, red pepper and jalapeno to the soup pot and cook over low heat an additional 10 minutes. Strain the reserved cooking juices and clam juice through a fine kitchen towel or coffee filter into the soup. Add the chopped clams and cook 10 more minutes. Stir in the cilantro, lime juice and pepper. Taste for salt, since the clams may be salty, and serve steaming hot.

SPICY CLAM AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the chowder: In a soup pot or a Dutch oven, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook until the kernels are lightly browned at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the seafood seasoning, thyme, garlic, celery, bay leaves, chiles and onions, and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
• For the croutons: Arrange the English muffin cubes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden. Melt the butter with the hot sauce. Place the croutons in a bowl and toss with the parsley, seafood seasoning and the butter mixture. Return to the rack set over the baking sheet and bake until deeply golden. Let cool.
• To finish the chowder: Place the clams and beer in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, and season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then cook at a rapid simmer until the clams open, 3 to 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
• Divide the clams and the cooking liquid among 4 shallow bowls. Ladle the corn chowder over top and garnish with the croutons. Serve with hot sauce.
• Cook's Notes: You can make the chowder base up to 5 days ahead. Cool and store in the refrigerator, then reheat over a medium flame. Buy the clams within 48 hours of serving and cook them just before you're ready to serve.
• You can store the croutons in an airtight container or in a foil pouch until ready to use.

CORN AND CLAM CHOWDER WITH ZUCCHINI AND HERBS

Steps:

• Set up a clam steamer, or put about 2 inches of water in a large pot with a lid, place over high heat and bring to a boil.
• Steam open clams over high heat, covered. Large clams will take about 12 minutes. When cool, shuck the clams. Strain and reserve all clam broth, leaving any sand or grit in the bottom of the pot. Chop meat roughly and set aside. To save time, do this step in advance. (If using chopped clams, skip Step 1 and 2.)
• Put olive oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and celery, season generously with salt and pepper and cook until softened, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add garlic, red pepper and thyme. Stir and let sizzle briefly, then add polenta and stir to coat. Gradually add the water, stirring constantly with a wire whisk as mixture begins to thicken, then add clam broth and bring to a boil. It should now look brothy and just barely thickened.
• Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, until polenta grains have softened.
• Add potatoes to pot and simmer until just done, 12 to 15 minutes. Taste soup and adjust seasoning. Add more clam broth, if necessary.
• Add corn and zucchini and simmer 5 minutes until zucchini is tender. Add chopped clams and cook 2 minutes more.
• To serve, ladle soup into individual bowls. Squeeze some lime juice into each portion and top with a dollop of crème fraîche. Sprinkle with parsley and oregano.