Evangeline E. Anderson provides intelligent service with all the extras it takes to make your move to the Pacific Northwest care free and a smooth move. Here is the flavor of the Northwest in an old Family recipe for clam chowder. It will make you want to move closer to the clam beds even if you don't have to move for any other reason. |
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Raw Chopped or Ground Clams (can be frozen) |
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Pour clam juice into a large kettle. Into the juice add the clams. If the clams are frozen place on low heat and allow to thaw in juice. Do not increase the heat during this time as you will lose precious juice and flavor AND above all you will toughen the clams. One of the main secrets about cooking seafood is not to overcook it . Avoid high heat. Seafood is very delicate and tender and high heat tends to extract all of its natural juices, leaving you with a ruined ingredient. If you are a heavy handed heat cook let the clams thaw in the refrigerator overnight in a covered container. Once clams are thawed and in pan in juice, increase heat slightly and add potatoes. The reason I recommend frozen hash browns is that it is very easy to raise the heat too high when cooking this phase of the chowder and ruin the texture of the clams. Cook gently until clams and potatoes are cooked. DO NOT BOIL. While the mixture is creating itself into ambrosia you get busy with the bacon. Your task here is to produce bacon bits. STOP...don't reach for the already made store bought kind. I have already given you all of the lazy ways you are allowed to us to make this fit for the palate of the Gods. Now to the preparation of the bacon. If you don't have an extremely sharp knife or kitchen shears with which to cut the bacon into very small pieces and I mean small, then chill the bacon in the freezer to almost frozen. This will make it much easier to slice up. After you have sliced up the bacon place it in a frying pan and allow it to brown slowly. Once again not high heat just sufficient to crisp up the bacon. Drain the grease frequently during this process because we must avoid burning the bacon which is here to enhance the clam flavor and not produce a scum of grease on our finished product. Even though you have drained the grease frequently from the bacon as it cooked please place a paper towel in a drainer and place the cooked bacon on it to allow it to drain even more grease. By now the first phase of the cooking should be finished and you can reduce the heat to very low and once it has reduced simmering, place the well drained bacon pieces into the kettle and stir them gently into the mixture. Next...take the rosemary into your hand and with the fingers on your other hand crush it until it has been reduced in size to about one third of its actual length. This crushing releases the goodness of this herb and frees it to do its job. Sprinkle this across the top of the mixture (it will float on the top) and then gently stir it in and allow it to cook for about another ten minutes on low heat. When finished cooking this phase of the chowder (if time permits) allow it to cool and then place in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight for the various flavors to blend and season into the body of the mixture. When ready to serve ladle the mixture into a pan and heat it prior to adding the cream and butter. I also heat the cream slightly so that when I add the base to the cream there isn't any temptation to TURN UP THE heat and ruin all of your hard work. You may salt this to taste when served but I caution you not to salt too much. Once again seafood does not like too much salt and neither do many people to whom you will serve this dish. Serve with very crisp crackers and be ready to serve up seconds. Now if this sounds like a size recipe big enough to serve an army just lessen the ingredients and make a smaller batch. However, the base freezes very well and once frozen can be given as gifts with a quart of half and half. Your recipients will cry your raves from the house tops. |
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