I should also say, I don't like clam chowder. I mean, I won't eat it in a restaurant. I think Mo's is awful. I never thought I'd eat any. Ever. Amen. And then I made a batch myself. Mind changed. It happens, people.
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| Veggie ingredients, except the half onion and carrots |
If your son didn't bring you fresh, prepped cockles you can use any clam you like - fresh preferred, but canned works. Rather than using a clam chowder recipe as the frame for this recipe, I started with a potato leek soup recipe. It tastes rich and creamy, but doesn't use any added thickener or cream. So it doesn't taste like flour and half and half.
Ingredients:
- 2-3 tablespoons butter and/or canola oil
- 1 leek - white and light green parts only - sliced and washed well
- 1/2 an onion, chopped
- 4 potatoes, give or take, sliced and then cut in half
- 1 parsnip (optional, I guess), sliced
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 cups veggie or chicken broth (mine was low sodium chicken broth because it was open)
- 2-3 cups water (or enough to cover the veggies)
- 1 cup milk (I used skim)
- 2(ish) cups finely diced or ground cockles or some kind of clams
- salt, pepper, paprika to taste
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 sprigs thyme or whatever fresh or dried herb you fancy
Leeks grow up through the dirt. Dirt gets between each layer. So you'll want to swish them in water to get it all out. I always recommend organic. I can't afford to get everything that way, either. But anything that requires special washing I try to get organic for sure. This one - and the parsnip and onion - were from my CSA. (Potatoes were from Rob's mom's family farm in rural SE Oregon. Such a treat!)
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| Washing sliced leek in my awesome new strainer. |
Heat a dutch oven or other heavy stockpot on medium; add butter and/or canola oil. I used a tablespoon of butter and about 1.5 tablespoons of canola oil. Add onion and leeks. Cook until soft and a little bit golden, about 10 minutes. (Reduce heat when needed. I reduced mine to medium-low after 5 min.)
Meanwhile, the potatoes, parsnip, and carrots can be diced or sliced. I sliced with a mandolin and then cut the large ones in half. It just makes them cook faster and mash up a bit easier later. Dicing is fine if you don't have a mandolin or don't want to wash it later. (Been there, done that.) Add to the pot and stir to combine.
Add broth and water to cover veggies. Add more of either one if it doesn't quite cover. Add some salt and the bay leaves now. I put in about a teaspoon. Bring to boil over medium heat and simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes or so until the veggies are soft. With a potato masher (or fork or whisk - I used a plastic whisk) mash up the veggies until in bits. You could use an immersion blender or blend in batches, but I didn't want mine completely smooth. It is entirely up to you.
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| it will look kinda like this when you have all the veggies and liquid in. |
Add whatever clams you are using (no need to drain juice - add it too) and the milk. Add the fresh thyme if using. Put in pepper and paprika to taste. Let simmer without coming to a boil for 5-10 minutes. Taste. If it needs more salt, pepper, or paprika, add it now. If it is too thick, you can add more of any of the liquids you prefer. Simmer until you are ready to eat.
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| The soup pot will look something like this at the end. |
Caution: the smell of the finished chowder will attract teenage boys. Or at least it did at my house during Winter Break. I didn't do it tonight, but I would highly recommend bread bowls for this chowder. You didn't use any flour or cream and very little butter, after all.
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| My half eaten bowl. Yeah, I was hungry and forgot to take a picture right away. |
So if your winter moments bring you root veggies and cockles, or if you just have a hankering, make yourself and loved ones a steaming pot of this chowder. It will certainly warm your winter moments.
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