A Hankering for Boston: Clam Chowder

At one point in my hiatus from posting, I was really craving a Boston favorite: New England Clam Chowder. I don't eat pork or beef, so I had to hunt for a recipe that didn't use any bacon or meat stock. I found this one and liked it so much I made it again a few weeks later. And don't forget, the best way to eat clam chowder is in a sourdough bread bowl :)


New England Clam Chowder
Yield: 4 servings
Adapted from Ivar's

Ingredients
2 (6.5 oz) cans minced clams
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely diced celery
2 cups finely diced potatoes
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, warmed
1 tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp pepper, to taste
dash of sugar

Directions
Open the canned clams and drain the juice into a medium saucepan. Set the reserved clams aside. To the juice add the onions, celery, potatoes, and enough water to just cover. Simmer, covered, over medium heat until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large sauce melt the butter over medium heat, then stir in the flour and cook until it becomes a roux and is golden. VERY gradually, whisk the milk into the roux. Cook, whisking, until smooth and thick, about 5 minutes. With every addition of milk, make sure the mixture doesn't clump up. If it does, keep mixing vigorously, and eventually you can strain it and gradually mix the liquid into the collected solids.

Add the cooked vegetables together with their liquid and the clams, salt, pepper, and sugar. Stir well, and adjust seasonings to taste if necessary.

Feel free to use different vegetables; this soup tastes great with carrots, yellow squash or zucchini too.