Interesting things I found along the way-you never know.

Monday, July 1, 2013

Rhode Island Clam Chowder


During a trip to the northeast coast to see the fall colors, we stopped off for lunch in Connecticut. It was a cold, blustery October afternoon, a bowl of chowder was in order. We had a choice of three clam chowders, Boston, New England or Rhode Island chowder. We knew the first two but had no idea of the latter. So we tried it, only to fall in love with it. RI chowder is a delicate blend of flavors not found in the more popular ones of clam chowder. We got the recipe and have made it ever since.
Rhode Island Clam Chowder
2 Tbsp butter
2Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 large Idaho potato, peeled and diced
1 quart clam broth
1 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1 lb minced clams
½ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp fresh black pepper
In a Dutch oven or heavy stock pot, melt the butter in the oil over low-medium heat. Add the onion and celery, and sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onions are translucent. Stir in the diced potato, then pour into the clam broth and add thyme leaves.

Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft when pierced with knife. Using a wooden spoon, smash some of the potatoes against the side of the pot, and stir into the broth to thicken it slightly. Add the clams with any juice, and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and serve hot.  Serves 6