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
