New England Clam Chowder

In between these early summer days of sultry weather, we've had a couple of days of damp and cool, when the idea of hamburgers and potato salad just didn't seem to hit the spot. 

I rummaged about in the pantry and saw I had three cans of minced clams, had some heavy cream in the fridge that needed to be used, and knew what we'd be having for dinner.

This clam chowder is very good; it's not the best (if you've ever had fresh from the Atlantic Ocean clams made into chowder from Legal Seafoods in Boston, you'll know what I mean by best), but it's the best I've ever made at home.  This chowder had a wonderful velvety mouth feel and the clam flavor came through nicely.  Even Ole Sweetie-Pi, who rarely goes for a second helping on anything with milk in it, ate two servings, and put dibs on the leftovers.

There's controversy about bacon versus salt pork, and I use bacon.  Rarely do I have salt pork in the house unless I'm making baked beans.  If you have salt pork, but all means go ahead and use it; just render the fat as you would with the bacon.  Some folks go so far as to finely dice the salt pork and sprinkle it on the chowder  as a garnish, but I'm not one of them; I've got to have some limits, smiles, on the amount of fat I consume.

And take a look at the last ingredient at the ingredient list. Are you as surprised as I was?  I hesitated using the sugar as it's not an ingredient I envision with clam chowder, so I opted to use just a good pinch, and the addition seemed to work just fine.

New England Clam Chowder

3 6.5-ounce cans minced or whole clams, reserve liquid **
3 slices bacon
4 cups diced potatoes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
2 1/2 cups milk, divided
1 cup heavy cream (light cream will work too)

3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
good pinch of sugar

Drain the clams, reserving the liquid.  Add enough water to make 2 cups of liquid.

In a large saucepan, cook the bacon, rendering the fat.  Remove the bacon and save the drippings.  Add the diced potatoes and onions and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes or so, or until the onions look translucent. 

Add the clam juice, cover, and simmer about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.

Stir in the claims, 2 cups of milk and the cream. 

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1/2 cup of milk with the flour and stir well.  Stir mixture into the chowder. Cook chowder until thick and bubbly.

Add Worcestershire sauce and a pinch of sugar. Stir, and taste for seasoning; add salt and pepper if desired. 

Supposed to serve 4, (probably dainty eaters)  but more likely 2 or 3 really hungry people.

**My notes:  The original recipe called for 2 cans of clams, which isn't nearly enough.  Even with three 6.5-ounce cans of clams, I felt as if I could have used another can, and then I probably wouldn't have had to add any water at all.

Four cups of potatoes, is that really enough?  Depends how thick and chunky you like your clam chowder.  Next time, I'll probably add another potato or two. 

Same goes with the thickener.  I've had chowder so thick you could stand your spoon up in it and at the other end of the spectrum, where it was just a milk broth.  This chowder is a medium consistency, very good.  If you like it thicker, add more flour and milk after you see how it cooks up.

Shrimp Scampi

If someone were to ask me if I liked shrimp, without hesitation, I'd say no.  And then I would have to correct myself and  say well, mostly no.  I don't like shrimp cocktail, shrimp fried rice, coconut shrimp, shrimp in tomato sauce.  Forrest Gump and I would not do well together.

However, what I am mad about is shrimp scampi.  There is just something about wonderful coral colored shrimp swimming in a sauce of garlic, butter, vermouth and lemon makes me swear an eternal allegiance to their splendiferousness. 

And if that's not enough, in the time it takes to boil the water and cook the pasta, you can have a dinner that's company-worthy. 

Shrimp Scampi
(Adapted from The Food Network)

1 1/2 pounds pounds shelled and deveined shrimp**
Salt and pepper to taste
4 tablespoons unsalted butter **
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 cup dry white vermouth
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried (or 2 teaspoons fresh, chopped) parsley leaves
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
Generous sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional, but good

Pasta of choice, prepared according to package directions, drained

Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat until  the butter foams but not browned.  Add the shrimp in a single layer.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Cook one minute.  Add the garlic, cook for another minute.  Turn the shrimp over and cook another two minutes.

Transfer the shrimp to a bowl, leaving butter in pan.  Add the vermouth and the lemon juice and boil about 30 seconds; the sauce will thicken, stir while it is reducing to bring up any brown bits.  Add the lemon zest and the parsley.  Add back the shrimp for a few seconds slightly reheat through again, if needed.

Pour this over drained, hot pasta and mix to combine.  Let it sit for a minute before serving to give the pasta a chance to absorb the buttery, garlicky goodness of the sauce. Sprinkle a small amount of Parmesan cheese on top if desired. 

Mangia! 

** I used the jumbo, frozen, precooked shrimp and they were delicious cooked in this recipe.
**Original recipe calls for only 2 tablespoons of butter, which I found to be totally inadequate for my tastes..  I double the amount as I like a nice buttery sauce for my pasta.

Fresh Clams Steamed in Wine

Got wine?

Now here's an easy and  simple recipe that takes  steamers (steamed clams) to a whole new level by replacing the water  that is ordinarily used to steam the clams with a bottle of dry white wine.  I used an entire bottle of Riesling I had on hand, and the steamers became a food of elegance. What could be nicer than seafood and wine.

But I still have to chuckle, because there's no way to eat these elegantly as there is still some picking about with the fingers, the discarding of shells, and the dripping  of butter as one attempts  to pop these wonderful mollusks into the mouth.  I think no matter how much you dress these up, it is still a food that is best eaten at home with family and friends.

Clams Steamed in White Wine

There's really no recipe, just a method. I made these for me, but the recipe can be scaled up if you are serving more people.  There's no right or wrong, just personal preference.

Start out with a couple pounds of fresh clams (discarding any clams that are open).  Rinse and drain the clams in salted water a couple of times to remove any sand that might be remain in the shells).

In a lobster pot (if you have one, otherwise, a stew pot or dutch oven, depending on how much you're making), add a  liter of wine, a whole peeled onion, three or four cloves of garlic, some peppercorns, a couple of bay leaves.  Add the clams, cover and bring to a boil.  Steam for about 10 minutes and then lift the lid to take a little look-see.  If the clams have all opened, the clams are done.  If the shells remain closed, boil a little longer.  If only a few remain closed, remove them from the pot, discard, and serve the rest.

If you're of a mind to, strain the broth (because there will be sand) and serve alongside in small bowls; dip the steamers into the broth to rinse off any objectionable remnants of sand and sea and then remove the grey-black rubbery tissue that covers the neck (you'll likely need your fingers for this).  Dunk into hot melted butter (perhaps with a little lemon added) and pop into your eager mouth.  Enjoy!

Ginger Scallops in Cream Sauce

Gosh this was good.  Seafood is a real departure from what we normally eat as neither one of us particularly cares for fish, and the only seafood we agree on is scallops, so finding a recipe we both enjoy is a kitchen coup.  Okay, so this wasn't a coup; Ole Sweetie-Pi thought it lacked flavor; the only thing he could taste was carrots. However,  I thought it was full of flavor from the ginger and wine.  I'm making this again, if only for me!

Ginger Scallops in Cream Sauce

5 tablespoons butter, divided
1/2 cup finely chopped scallions (also known as green onions)
1 1/2 cups carrots, julienned (cut into matchsticks)
1/2 cup dry white wine (I used a sauvignon blanc)
1 tablespoon grated fresh gingerroot
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt (taste before seasoning, may not need it)
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound bay or sea scallops (sea scallops cut in half if they are very large)

In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and add the scallions.  Cook and stir for about one minute.

Add the carrots and cook for 2 minutes.

Stir in the wine and gingerroot.  When the mixture is thoroughly heated, add the cream, and salt and pepper.
Cook and stir the sauce over medium-high heat about five minutes or until it is reduced by half.

Add the scallops to the sauce, cooking for one minute if they are bay scallops, or two minutes if using sea scallops.

Stir in remaining butter and serve.

Just amazing over rice!!

Steamers

Summers on Cape Cod introduced me to that well known plate, the clambake, a feast that was a herald of the quintessential seashore summer. Platters, heaped high with just-off-the-boat lobster, freshly dug clams and mussels, farm fresh corn on the cob, potatoes, bowls of real butter and lemon wedges, steaming and smelling of the Atlantic Ocean, would be placed before you. Sweet abundance of the sea! You were probably given a plastic lobster bib and those little wet-dry towelette packets, because you are going to get buttery and juicy. This is a get-down-to-it with your fingers, lean-over-the-platter, catch-the-butter-and-meat-in-your-mouth-before-it-all slips-and-slides-away meal. This is a meal best shared with family and friends with whom you don't mind being seen at your messy best.

Begin by thoroughly rinsing the fresh steamers. Hold a steamer under fresh running water; most of the sand will wash out. Brush any loose sand that may be clinging to the shell. Discard any uncooked steamer whose shell is open (it's already dead and you don't want it!). I put them in a bowl with some fresh water, a little salt, and rinse an additional three or four times. Some folks add a tad of cornmeal, the idea being that the clams will eat it and then clean out their digestive system. I try not to think too much about that.

It's all so simple, you don't need a recipe. Allow about 1/2 cup of water for every 4 quarts of steamers. I use a steamer pot, the kind that has a separate insert that is made to steam foods. (When I didn't have a steamer pot, I used a large soup pot and a steel colander.) Add maybe a teaspoon of sea salt or kosher salt. Cover, bring the water to a boil. Add your corn if you're going to serve it, and let it steam for about 10-15 minutes. Add the raw clams on top, recover the pot, and allow to steam an additional ten minutes or so. It's okay to check off and on because once the clam shells are opened, they are done! Do not overcook or you will believe you are eating the tires off your car.

Folks add any number of things in with their steamers, kielbasa comes to mind. It's all good, but different foods take different lengths of time to cook or heat through, so you'll have to cook in layers, with the longest cooking item going in first.

If you're a true Cape Codder, you will reserve the broth (perhaps adding a bit of butter or lemon) to serve separately so that you can dunk thick hunks of crusty bread into it.

Remove the unappetizing skin covering its dark neck and any strands of seaweed that may still be clinging to the hinge or muscle. Dip in hot melted butter and enjoy fruta del mar, fruit of the sea!