SECRET INGREDIENT CLAM CHOWDER

[AL WORRELLS KID]

SECRET INGREDIENT's in CLAM CHOWDER

1 10 ounce Canned Clams, drained but reserve juice

1 10-ounce can clam juice

2 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 pound potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 bay leaf

 [Secret Ingredient  1/4 cup Sherry]  (use drinkable wine, not cooking wine)

1 cup heavy cream

 [Secret Ingredient 1 small jar Pimentos, drained]

1 tablespoon parsley for garnish

Salt and white pepper to taste

In a small Dutch oven, cook bacon over a medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in onion and celery and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in wine, then clam juice and juice reserved from clams. Scrape up any browned bits from pan bottom and smooth out any lumps. Stir in potatoes and bay leaf and bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat to gentle simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and return heat to simmer for a few seconds. Turn off heat and remove bay leaf. Stir in pimentos and clams. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Cover and let stand until clams are warmed through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.

[bornhunter]

SECRET INGREDIENT's in CLAM CHOWDER

1 10 ounce Canned Clams, drained but reserve juice

1 10-ounce can clam juice

2 slices bacon, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

2 celery, finely chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 pound potatoes cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 bay leaf

 [Secret Ingredient  1/4 cup Sherry]  (use drinkable wine, not cooking wine)

1 cup heavy cream

 [Secret Ingredient 1 small jar Pimentos, drained]

1 tablespoon parsley for garnish

Salt and white pepper to taste

In a small Dutch oven, cook bacon over a medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in onion and celery and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.

Whisk in wine, then clam juice and juice reserved from clams. Scrape up any browned bits from pan bottom and smooth out any lumps. Stir in potatoes and bay leaf and bring everything to a boil. Reduce heat to gentle simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in heavy cream and return heat to simmer for a few seconds. Turn off heat and remove bay leaf. Stir in pimentos and clams. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Cover and let stand until clams are warmed through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley.

Yummmm!

[Pathfinder101]

Another recipe I need to try...

[pianoman9701]

Looks like it would be delicious. At my parent's Inn in NH, I used to make a clam chowder base with very similar ingredients. It was special. You don't make clam chowder in New England unless it's special. I used sherry, as well. 

[Mtnwalker]

After sitting in an open cab excavator freezing my &@!!$ off all morning this looks amazing

[AL WORRELLS KID]

On a cold day like today... it sure warms a body!
Can even get tastier when fresh Razor Clams or Ground up Geoduck (Season and Muscles permitting) can be substituted.

Or in pianoman9701's case "Fresh dug Quahog's".

"Quahog". The Narragansett tribe of Native Americans waded and dove for these clams, which dominate the clam-scape of the East Coast. They called the local mollusk poquauhock, which morphed into "quahog" as it entered the English language.

[pianoman9701]

We'd eat those and cherrystones (a size smaller) raw. Good stuff. We'd hunt for them on the sandbars with our feet at low tide, once not noticing that the tide had returned and our boat was about 1/4 mile away across moving water. Fun times.