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http://www.soshiok.com/articles/12814
The perfect clam chowder recipe
Mon May 11 2009
Hedy Khoo
The New Paper
Really really clammy chowder recipe by Hedy Khoo.
Singapore, May 10, 2009 - Finding the perfect clam chowder is very much like finding the right guy. Both are equally elusive.
Choosing to order clam chowder off a restaurant’s menu is an experience fraught with potential emotional potholes.
Alas, there have been many times when I’ve tasted disappointment after venturing a brave finger to point at the picture of a steaming hot bowl of soup.
Ever notice how food served at the table seldom resembles the glossy pictures in the menu?
I sometimes feel like Goldilocks when it comes to this comfort soup: If it is not too cold, it is too diluted.
Sometimes, if you are lucky, you might find a few clams swimming in a flour-filled mush.
Getting the right chowder combination is as perplexing as finding a single and available man of substance.
The good news is, your search for good chowder can be easily resolved, unlike the search for a good man. Just cook your own chowder and you can mix and match the ingredients according to your preference.Voila, satisfaction.
Really really clammy chowder
Ingredients
3kg clams, washed and scrubbed
100g smoked pork, diced
100g back bacon, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of leek, sliced thinly
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
100g or 1 can of sweet corn kernel
4 Russet potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp cooking oil
40g butter
6 tbsp sieved plain flour
600ml thickened or heavy cream
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp dill
1 tsp thyme
3 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
10 cups of water
Method
1. Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add clams and cover for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir gently. Once clams are opened, remove from heat, strain and reserve cooking liquid.
2. Discard unopened clams. Remove clams from shells. Discard the shells. Set aside the clams.
3. Heat skillet. Lightly grease it and fry smoked pork and bacon until they brown. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tsp of oil with 40g of butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion, leek, celery and carrot. Fry until onion is translucent. Add thyme, tarragon and dill. Set aside.
4. Double-strain the cooking liquid to remove the grit and sand. Bring to a boil. Add potato cubes.
5. Add the fried mixture of leeks and onion. Add the sweet corn kernels. Allow to simmer over medium-low heat for 45minutes.
6. If you like, mash the potato up using a wooden spatula or a ladle.
7. Add flour slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve the lumpy bits. Do not be afraid if your soup looks quite lumpy at this point. Keep the heat on low and add the cream. Stir and let simmer a while more until the soup is smooth.
8. Add the fried bacon, smoked pork and clams.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve with fresh crusty bread.
http://www.soshiok.com/articles/12814
The perfect clam chowder recipe
Mon May 11 2009
Hedy Khoo
The New Paper
Really really clammy chowder recipe by Hedy Khoo.
Singapore, May 10, 2009 - Finding the perfect clam chowder is very much like finding the right guy. Both are equally elusive.
Choosing to order clam chowder off a restaurant’s menu is an experience fraught with potential emotional potholes.
Alas, there have been many times when I’ve tasted disappointment after venturing a brave finger to point at the picture of a steaming hot bowl of soup.
Ever notice how food served at the table seldom resembles the glossy pictures in the menu?
I sometimes feel like Goldilocks when it comes to this comfort soup: If it is not too cold, it is too diluted.
Sometimes, if you are lucky, you might find a few clams swimming in a flour-filled mush.
Getting the right chowder combination is as perplexing as finding a single and available man of substance.
The good news is, your search for good chowder can be easily resolved, unlike the search for a good man. Just cook your own chowder and you can mix and match the ingredients according to your preference.Voila, satisfaction.
Really really clammy chowder
Ingredients
3kg clams, washed and scrubbed
100g smoked pork, diced
100g back bacon, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk of leek, sliced thinly
2 stalks of celery, sliced
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
100g or 1 can of sweet corn kernel
4 Russet potatoes, cubed
1 tbsp cooking oil
40g butter
6 tbsp sieved plain flour
600ml thickened or heavy cream
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp dill
1 tsp thyme
3 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
10 cups of water
Method
1. Bring 10 cups of water to a boil in a pot. Add clams and cover for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir gently. Once clams are opened, remove from heat, strain and reserve cooking liquid.
2. Discard unopened clams. Remove clams from shells. Discard the shells. Set aside the clams.
3. Heat skillet. Lightly grease it and fry smoked pork and bacon until they brown. Set aside.
4. Heat 1 tsp of oil with 40g of butter over medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion, leek, celery and carrot. Fry until onion is translucent. Add thyme, tarragon and dill. Set aside.
4. Double-strain the cooking liquid to remove the grit and sand. Bring to a boil. Add potato cubes.
5. Add the fried mixture of leeks and onion. Add the sweet corn kernels. Allow to simmer over medium-low heat for 45minutes.
6. If you like, mash the potato up using a wooden spatula or a ladle.
7. Add flour slowly, stirring constantly to dissolve the lumpy bits. Do not be afraid if your soup looks quite lumpy at this point. Keep the heat on low and add the cream. Stir and let simmer a while more until the soup is smooth.
8. Add the fried bacon, smoked pork and clams.
9. Add salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve with fresh crusty bread.
