How to Make Clam Chowder

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Clam chowder is an appetizer or main dish which originated on the east coast of the United States of America. There are many recipes to prepare clam chowder, and it's very difficult to point out the original one.

If you drink clam chowder soups in different restaurants, you will notice that all of them taste different from one another. Many a time, as the basic ingredients change, the soup recipes change as well. It is not difficult to make clam chowder at home. Take a look at the recipe given in this story.

Types of Clam Chowder

Rhode Island : This soup uses fish broth as the base. New England : The base of this soup is either milk or cream. It is also referred to as 'Boston Clam Chowder' in some areas. Manhattan : Tomatoes are used as a base for this soup. It is also known as 'Coney Island Clam Chowder'. Yorktown : This soup uses beer or ale as its base.

Ingredients

Milk Cream Potatoes Canned Clams Bacon or salt pork Onions Corn Carrots Celery Thyme Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste All-purpose flour Parsley for garnishing

Preparation

Step I: Cook the bacon. A residue will be left. Do not throw the residue away. You will have to use it in the next step.

Step II: Cut the onion into small pieces. Fry the chopped onions in the fat residue. Cook the onion till they are transparent or translucent.

Step III: Add a tablespoon of all-purpose flour to the onion. Sauté the onion again a little.

Step IV: Remove the broth from the clam tin. Pour it in the pan. Bring it to a boil. Add some water to it.

Step V: Once the broth comes to a boil, add the chopped potatoes to it. If the water in the pan does not cover the potatoes, add extra water. Cook the potatoes till they are soft and tender. This will take a minimum 15-20 minutes. Check whether the potatoes are cooked well.

Step VI: Remove some pieces from the pan and mash them and add the mashed potatoes to the pan. Mashed potatoes will give the soup a thick base.

Step V: Now add the vegetables to the cooked potatoes. Bring it to a boil. Add celery and thyme to the broth after the broth comes to a boil.

Step VI: After the vegetables are cooked, add the chopped clams and bacon to the broth. Boil the mixture for about 5 minutes. This will make the clams tender and the broth will have the clam taste.

Step VII: Beat milk and cream together. Now add the milk and cream mixture, salt, and freshly ground pepper to the broth in the pan.

Step VIII: Garnish with parsley.

If you want to reheat the clam chowder, use low heat. The soup will be thick initially, but as you start heating it, it will loosen up. If it still remains thick, you can add some lukewarm water to it.

You can experiment with the ingredients and the base of the soup as per your liking. For all you know, you will develop a new recipe totally. Do not forget to serve it with crackers, bread, or biscuits. With the easy recipe discussed above, are you ready to pamper your taste buds?