Clam Chowder

My friend Kathy is from coastal New England.

One summer, she was headed to Cape Cod for vacation and I was very jealous because of the delicious food I knew she’d be eating.  “It’s different than you think, Christine”, she kept saying…a phrase she still uses with me to this day.  NO, I told her, I LOVE clam chowder and fried clams.  Then she advised:  "it’s not the Chunky clam chowder you love from the can, and it’s not the clam strips you’ve been eating in diners all your life. It's real".  I wouldn’t believe her.

As fate would have it, I got to see for myself just a few years later, when I was on Martha's Vineyard..

I went to a little place upstairs from a bigger place and had some fried clams.  They smelled DELICIOUS and they were so fresh and hot that I could barely touch them.  Couldn’t wait…I threw one in my mouth and what the hell…it was like eating a gigantic booger!  Didn’t wanna swallow it but had to, couldn’t drink enough Corona to get rid of it.  I checked the menu again “whole belly fried clams”.  It says fried clams, so what was THIS??  She laughed for 5 minutes.  Kathy, where can I get the fried clams THAT I LIKE and she said “rubber bands with breading?? Publix, aisle 6, frozen food section, Mrs. Pauls”. 

About the fried clams she was right, but I still love clam chowder any way I can get it, and I think you’ll like this recipe, too.  It’s not too thick, has fresh thyme, and big chunks of potato.  The clams are chopped though…the clams are definitely chopped…  :)

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WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

* make this the night before you want to serve it.  It always tastes better the next day.

1 can chopped clams, drained

4 tablespoons butter

5 pieces thick-cut bacon, chopped

1 leek (slice through the white part a few times to clean inside it, then slice all the white part and approx 1/2 inch into the green part).  Discard the remainder of the green part as it can be fibrous and tough

3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into bite size pieces

1 bay leaf, broken in half

oyster crackers

1 1/2 cups cream

1/2 cup whole milk

2 cups chicken broth

1 cup clam juice

1/2 cup white wine

2 springs of fresh thyme

salt/pepper

1 large handful chopped fresh parsley

optional:  oyster crackers or saltines

In a large Dutch Oven, saute bacon until crisp.  Remove from pan and set aside.  Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.

Add butter to pan and saute leeks over medium heat until soft.  Add potatoes and wine and cook for a few minutes, then add clam juice, chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf.  Simmer until potatoes are soft, approx 20 min.  

Drain clams

When potatoes are soft, add clams, bacon, cream, and milk.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  The clams can be briny, so be careful.  Let simmer on low briefly to heat all and meld the flavors.  When done, remove and discard thyme and bay leaf (the stalk of thyme should be bare) and take soup off the heat. Set aside and let cool before putting in the refrigerator, covered.

The next day:

Reheat soup on low until hot (do not let it boil).  Garnish with parsley and serve with crackers.

Quick Poutine with a Peppery Thyme Gravy

Sixth grade, 1982--
I have many good things to say about my middle school boyfriend, Christian DiPasquale, and when I think of our first encounter it still makes me smile:

I went to a private Catholic school and Christian was new that year, he'd come from the public school around the corner.  We'd all been together since we were 6 but he didn't know anyone so he was quiet and kept to himself. 

Sitting in groups of 4, I was put with him, Anne, and Michael.  Anne was big and loud and had a very deep voice for 12, and was bickering with Michael to the point that he'd had enough and yelled something to her...what I can only think now was meant to be a name that would hurt her feelings.  Pushed to the limit, he called her "a poutine."  I'm like whaaaaaaaaat??  I look over at Christian...not one word outta this kid for 2 weeks...til he laughed out loud, shook his head, and said "Dude, that's fries with gravy."

Right then and there, I had to know him.

He was right.  Poutine is basically fries with gravy, and melty cheese curds that add an extra layer of deliciousness.  Life has graced, and cursed, me with a little mini-me daughter and while I'm always looking for the best chili dog, she's always on the lookout for the best poutine (which we both agree lives at The Coopers Tavern in Madison, WI).  But we make this one at home, which keeps us going til we can get back there :)

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(WHAT YOU WILL NEED)

1 bag frozen French fries
your favorite gravy, packet or jar 
beef broth
1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese
salt/cracked pepper
fresh thyme

Cook fries according to package directions.  I season them with salt and pepper 10 minutes into cooking.

While they are cooking, make the gravy.  I use one packet McCormicks gravy and instead of water, I use beef broth (If you are using a jarred gravy, mix it with some beef broth, too, for more flavor).  Add salt if necessary, and cracked pepper to taste (Poutine is usually a peppery gravy). Take some thyme off their sprigs and place it in the gravy while cooking.

When the fries are ready, take them out of the oven.  Break up the ball of mozzarella into small chunks with your hands and drop onto the hot fries.  Place back into the oven for approx. 8-10 more minutes to melt the cheese slightly and make the fries extra crispy.

Take out of the oven and spoon gravy over the top.  This will melt the cheese further, add salt to taste and serve.