Arts Entertainments

Manhattan Clam Chowder – Give it the praise it deserves!

I went to college in Boston, Massachusetts, so I’m familiar with New England clam chowder. When he went out to dinner, which was not often, he always ordered it. In fact, I was in the mood for clam chowder. Without a doubt, this buttery, creamy, sticky rib soup is delicious, especially on a winter night.

My love of New England clam chowder did not change my love of Manhattan clam chowder. I’m originally from Long Island, New York, and our family used to go swimming at Jones Beach on the south shore of the island. We stayed for the evening water show and clam chowder. As an elementary student at the time, I loved the clam chowder and the little round cookie packets that came with it.

Sometimes my mom would make Manhattan clam chowder from scratch and it was delicious. Dad cracked open the clam shells and scooped out the meat with a stubby little knife. I remember being a little scared as she watched it. But chef and writer James Beard hated Manhattan clam chowder, according to http://www.whatscookingamerica.net. He described it as a vegetable soup with clams in it. With all due respect to James Beard, I love Manhattan clam chowder for the vegetables and clams.

The dank site http://www.whatscookingamerica.net says some food historians think Manhattan clam chowder was also known as Coney Island clam chowder and Fulton Market clam chowder, after the famous market Fulton’s Fish Market in New York City. Manhattan clam chowder was also called Connecticut clam chowder. I found many recipes for tomato-based soup in my cookbooks.

A recipe in “The Healthy Cook,” published by “Prevention Magazine,” contains clam juice, reduced-sodium canned tomatoes, garlic, and hot sauce. The original recipe from the “Joy of Cooking” book contains bacon, canned tomatoes, ketchup and butter. Other Manhattan clam chowder recipes contain green pepper. I didn’t want green pepper, ketchup, hot sauce, or garlic in my soup.

What did he want? She wanted a lot of clam flavor and lots of vegetables. Read my recipe and you will see that it has more vegetables than clams. There is hardly any fat because the bacon fat has been cooked through. Canned clams and juice contain salt, so I omitted it from the recipe. Stir up a batch of Manhattan Clam Chowder today and give it the praise it deserves!

INGREDIENTS

2 14.5-ounce cans whole tomatoes and juice, no salt

4 6.5-ounce cans chopped clams and juice

1 8-ounce bottle clam juice

2 1/2 cups of water

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped yellow onions

1 cup sweet baby carrots (from a package)

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

3 tablespoons precooked royal bacon

1 teaspoon of thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper

METHOD

For canned tomatoes in soup pot. Cut the tomatoes into bite-size pieces with kitchen shears. Chop celery and onions and add to soup pot. Add the remaining ingredients, cover and simmer for an hour. Or simmer in a slow cooker, over low heat, for four hours. This Manhattan Clam Chowder tastes even better the next day. Makes 12 one-cup servings.

Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson

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