A cure for what ails you…
Said to be the most depressing day of the year by some optimistic sort (doubtless impacted by light deprivation,) this Tuesday dawned bright but very cold.
After a feckless day of what my mother would have called “bookwork” in my dungeon office, I wanted an easy dinner with good flavor and nostalgic comfort to take the edge off an otherwise reasonably cruddy day.
With little desire to hit the grocery store, I shopped the larder and freezer and came up with this hearty coastal soup with a nod to southern flavor.
Served up with Wildgrain’s (www.wildgrain.com) delightful frozen bake and serve Parmesan Herb Biscuits, dinner was all that.
I’m warm, fed and comforted. And for an otherwise bleak midwinter’s evening, that is sufficient.
North South Clam Chowder
Ingredients:
3 T Butter
2 oz cubed country ham
3 small cans Bar Harbor minced clams
2 8 oz bottles Bar Harbor clam juice
2 small onions, diced
3 - 4 small Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cubed (1”)
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup light cream
2 Bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Method:
In a heavy sauce pan, melt 3 T butter.
Add ham chunks and sauté over medium low heat until slightly brown. Remove from pan with slotted spoon and reserve.
Cook onions in pan dripping till translucent. Add potatoes and cook for about 5 minutes over medium, partially covered. (Get the cooking started but don’t brown.)
Pour in clam juice, add pepper and bay leaves and cook, partially covered over gentle heat until the potatoes are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Country ham is SALTY! My chowder needed only pepper.
Add in the cream, milk, and ham and allow to heat gently uncovered. — NEVER ALLOW CHOWDER TO BOIL! (It will curdle…)
(You can make this chowder a la minute or a few hours before serving. Time improves the taste, but warm gently before serving and NEVER cover chowder until it is completely cool. (See curdling above.)
Top chowder with chives or parsley (and a decadent pat of butter, if you dare!) Serve with oyster crackers, biscuits, or fresh bread and a simple green salad.
