New England Clam Chowder
Chef J Maxwell
Ingredients
2 cups onions, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, diced
3 large garlic, diced
1 gallon whole milk, or 2%, skim, or heavy cream, have more ready if needed
¼ lb butter, 1 stick, if you have pork fat you can use it instead of butter
½ cup flour
2 cup potato, diced
2 cups fresh clams, (or canned) rinsed off with water and strain
1 cup or more fresh clam juice, use one small can from grocery store
½ cup, cook bacon in separate pan to your liking, cool and chop up
If you want more bacon, god bless you and add more bacon, it will only taste better
MOP Method of Preparation
1. In large Pot medium heat, add ¼ butter and little olive oil and add Onions, carrots, celery and garlic, season with little salt and pepper. Stir every minute or so until vegetables are translucent and soft, 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the rest of the butter, once melted add flour, and stir. If too pasty add little olive oil, but will be pasty anyway. After 1 to 2 minutes of stirring add milk and clam juice, stirring constantly to make sure no flour is on bottom of pot.
3. Turn down heat to low/medium, add potato and bacon. Stir every couple of minutes to make sure the heat is not too high.
4. After coming to a simmer boil, should start to thicken because of the flour and butter, roux. This is called Singer, (Son-jay) French term for dusting with flour to thicken soups.
5. Add clams and stir, after a couple of minutes taste it the best part. Might need more salt and pepper.
6. Then get your favorite bread, Favorite beverage, big bowl and spoon and have some fun.
*Now if to thick add more milk ½ cup at a time to your liking.
*Now if to thin, which it shouldn’t be, but always possible, take equal parts butter and flour in separate pan low/medium heat and make a roux. Stirring constantly so does not burn, low heat for this. Then start with 1 large table spoon and add to soup and whisk, while soup is a low boil, wait 2 minutes, add more if needed.
The hardest part is waiting to eat the soup but use low heat, if you burn the milk you have to start from scratch.
If you start with bacon in pot before adding vegetables your soup will be off white, it will taste great but will look yellow whitish.
