At last! The Clam Chowder Recipe

 

This post will include my recipe for clam chowder and another for crockpot cheddar ale soup which is very easy and inexpensive to make. I made the cheddar ale soup for a recent pot luck lunch with my Latin dance class mates, and was asked for the recipe so it is a perfect time to share it in this post.

                                     

Those blog readers who know me well, know that the thing I live for is getting out on the water in my boat. So, from the beginning of May, when I start to prepare my boat for launching, until the end of October, when I have my boat hauled out for the winter, I plan my life around those joyous boat rides.  The thought of spending time in front of a computer screen is so unappealing to me and all of the other necessary activities of life get delayed day after day if the weather is fine and I can cast off and go out to sea.   So, I send my blog on an extended Sabbatical for the duration.  On this snowy Maine Sunday morning, I have returned to composing blog entries, and I hope my readers will come back.  I need more indoor activities to keep me busy now and the wall of solitude begins to grow back as distractions lessen, and I don’t have boat rides as an option.  One thing I can say for sure, is that loneliness is accumulative!  One the first day with no social contacts planned, I find lots to do and keep my mind occupied.  On the second day, the loneliness pokes its’ head around the corner and reminds me it is still with me.  By the third day, I have caught myself worrying about things until I get into a state of anxiety.  The cure can be as simple as going out for lunch with a friend, or taking the dogs for a snowshoeing trek.

I have found that the best cure for loneliness is to volunteer!  I’ve been volunteering for Action for Animals Maine for several years, doing fund-raising to pay for emergency vet care bills for those in need.  We also provide pet food to the local pet pantry. and I have twelve bags of pet food in my garage to portion out in gallon bags and bring to the food pantry.

 

I have also started volunteering for a Maine dog rescue group, “Rescue Charlie’s Friends”.  On one Saturday in November a group of us greeted a truck full of 66 dogs from Alabama, and spent the day feeding, walking and bathing them and showing them off to prospective adopters.  I found out how great this organization is when I had to say goodbye to my 15 year old yellow lab girl in September.  I adopted a unique mixed breed pup with lab, German Shepard and something else like corgi back in October and I named her “Lubec” calling her “Becky”.  She is doing a great job filling the hole in my heart.

So, how was my summer, you might ask…

It was a lovely summer in Maine this year, in stark contrast to last summer’s abundance of rain, this year there were many sunny days. I did lots of solo trips out to the islands and several very special days when I took companions out to sea with me

On one particularly lovely July Sunday afternoon this summer, I was invited to celebrate a dear friend’s birthday at a local seaside cottage.  There were eight of us for a lobster bake feast and I offered to bring the clam chowder.  It was a big hit and there was nothing left in the stock pot after everyone took a second bowlful!  My secret clam chowder ingredient is leftover shucked steamed clams and some of the broth from the steamers.  That makes the chowder taste like the essence of the ocean!  Of course, if you have not had steamed clams lately, the chowder will be fine without them.

 

Maine Clam Chowder

1 lb. chopped sea clams (available at most seafood markets)

8 oz.  bottle clam broth

2 lg. red potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 onions, chopped

6 tablespoons of butter

1 pint of light cream

Salt and pepper, Old Bay seasoning

 A note on chopped clams:  Commercialy available chopped clams are from the large, quahog clams. My local seafood market and even my supermarket stock frozen chopped clams in 16 oz. tubs.  You can also use 16 oz. canned chopped clams but not all brands are created equal!  Here in New England Snow's brand canned clams are the easiest to find, but I won't use them because they tend to be tough and rubbery in texture.  Perhaps you can find a local brand that works for you.

Using a large stock pot, drain the clam juice into the pot and set the chopped clams aside.  Add the cubed potatoes and chopped onions to the clam broth, and add the bottle of clam broth.

Bring the clam broth to a boil, uncovered in the stock pot.  Boil until the potatoes are very tender and the broth has turned a milky, starchy white. 

Next, add the chopped clams and butter and reheat, adding salt, pepper and Old Bay Seasoning to taste.  Once the butter has melted, add the cream.  Reheat but do not boil the cream. 

Leave the chowder in the fridge for at least one or two days to improve the flavor! 

Crockpot Cheese and Ale Soup

32 oz. chicken broth

12 oz. ale or beer (better to use something with real flavor instead of a light beer or lager)

1 cup finely diced carrots

1 cup finely diced onions

½ cup finely diced celery

2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
(using a food processor for the diced veggies is makes it quick work)

½ stick of butter

¼ cup flour

1 tsp. salt

½ teaspoons  pepper

2 teaspoons dry mustard

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

3 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

½ cup light cream

 

Heat the crock pot with the chicken broth and ale.

In a large saute’ pan, melt the butter, and add the diced carrots, onions, celery and garlic and simmer until tender but not brown.  Add the flour and stir to mix in.

Add the veggies to the crock pot, and add the spices, stir well.

Cover and cook on high for 3 hours. 

At the end of the cooking time, add the shredded cheese and wait until it is melted, then add the light cream.  Put a stick blender into the crock pot and blend for a couple of minutes to make the soup smooth and creamy.  Reheat again for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serve with croutons, crackers or “goldfish”