Ingredients
- 4 slices double smoked bacon, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1 dozen quahogs or chowder clams, scrubbed and soaked to remove dirt
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 1 link chorizo, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 8 medium tomatoes, seeded and pureed
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, leaves chopped
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed and soaked to remove dirt
Directions
In a large pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the meat beginning to crisp, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the pot and reserve.
Add one-third of the garlic and the lemon juice to the bacon drippings and cook until the garlic is fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the quahogs, 2 1/2 cups water and the wine and bring to a simmer. Cover the pot and steam the clams until they open, about 10 minutes. Remove the clams from the pot. Strain the broth and reserve. Take the clams from their shells, chop them and set aside.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepot over a medium flame. Add the onion, celery, remaining garlic, and chorizo and cook until the onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes. Stir the flour into the pot. Cook the onion and flour mixture for several minutes then add the clam broth and bring to a simmer, stirring until smooth. Add the tomatoes and sugar, stir well to incorporate, then toss in the pepper flakes, thyme, and parsley. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook at a low simmer until the broth is flavorful, 20 to 30 minutes.
Ten minutes before serving, add the littleneck clams and bacon to the soup. Cover and steam until the clams open, about 8 minutes. Add the reserved chopped clams. Stir well, season again, if needed, with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and serve immediately.
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By Litedp
New York, NY
on February 06, 2012
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This makes a fantastic soup, almost a stew .... guess that's why its called a chowder. It has such a depth of flavor, I will absolutely make this again.
Watching him make the soup on tv, he added thyme and bay leaves to the broth in the beginning, so thatAs what I did. Also, I only used a few shakes of red pepper flakes, (1 tbsp must be a misprint. I used canned, San Marzano tomatoes, not fresh. And, I lucked into an excellent chorizo.
Enjoy!
By awible
Plantation, FL
on May 11, 2011
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The following review was from 2 years ago. Just realized it was unposted as I came to post again. I made it again tonight - this time with conch and shrimp and a few other variations.
I used Tyler's recipe as the foundation of my most recent Manhattan clam chowder attempt. It turned out as my effort to date. Absolutely delicious. But I altered the recipe considerably.
Lime instead of lemon
No butter... sauteed the veggies in the bacon fat
No chorizo - Italian sausage instead (and included with the bacon in step 1
red onion instead of yellow
no sugar
no red pepper flakes (feeding my 4-year-old
50 littlenecks ... not 24.
Added a bottle of clam juice.
Added a can of fish stock.
I have never produced anything less than spectacular food when I start with Tyler's recipes/guidance.
By romo209
on February 05, 2011
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If you use a tbs of red pepper flakes in this it will blow your head off, so while I like hot dishes this one is totally over the top!
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