clam chowder

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Jonesg
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Joined: 03/05/21 17:46

clam chowder

#1

Post by Jonesg »

The place I worked in Boston won Best of Boston with this recipe. (Thompsons Chowder House).
Peel cube and par boil the potatoes and it will go together in a few minutes.
https://youtu.be/iL-seq1F5tQ

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dave potts
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Re: clam chowder

#2

Post by dave potts »

Interesting video but from the looks of that kitchen I don't think I would feel too comfortable eating anything prepared in it.

St Vrain Angler
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Re: clam chowder

#3

Post by St Vrain Angler »

Yikes! Reminds me of college days. But the recipe looks good.

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reidrods
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Re: clam chowder

#4

Post by reidrods »

Our family clam chowder starts with a 30 gallon galvanized garbage, make a rack to fit inside out of sheet metal. Solder a drawoff close to the bottom.
Buy a bushel of clams ( about 600-700 ) littlenecks or countnecks. Clean well and keep iced. Set aside many for eating raw while you're cooking.
Place the clams on the bottom of can. (you can wrap portions in cheesecloth but it's more fun to scoop them out with a pan.), then potatoes ( about 8-10lbs),chicken pieces (about 8 lbs) wrapped in cheesecloth with a piece of sausage in each one.(go easy on the sausage and do not parboil the chicken.) White fish also wrapped in cheesecloth. Top it off with a bushel of corn. Shuck corn except for innermost leaves. Fold back to remove silk and refold leaves. Pour in 2 quarts of water. Add heat. (We used charcoal grill, wood fire, and even on the kitchen stove in winter.) After water starts boiling you can turn down heat a little. You want a good boil. You can feel heat travel up the sides of can. Takes about an hour for top to get hot. After 3 1/2 hours check broth. If your eyes roll up into your head and nasal passages clear, then it's done. If not, give it another 1/2 hour. Check potatoes and chicken for being cooked.

Also, while clams are steaming, large quantities of raw clams must be consumed with hot cocktail sauce and beverage of your choice. This prepares your digestive system for the onslaught that follows. These are served on the same beer platters that will be used to pile the steams clams later.

Pour off that portion of broth that you need for chowder the next day and refrigerate immediately (it can sour if left out). Save some clams, corn and potatoes to make the chowder. Use force if you have to. Melt some butter.
Eat as much as you can. Rinse out can before you pass out that night.
Next day is chowder day. You can figure that out.

Willis

snorider
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Location: Southwest Montana

Re: clam chowder

#5

Post by snorider »

Willis, you have described almost to a T the Frogmore Stew! I am sorry to hear that the northern shrimp population decline has lead to the use of those quahogs in the recipe ;)

A boil is one of those events that is best shared with a big party, along with the requisite beverages, a slice or two of pie, and good conversation in the evening sun. Funny that the same basic recipe spans the entire of the eastern seaboard, and even to the bayou cultures of the gulf coast. The only variation is in the local seafood and the spices. Can not wait to make another Frogmore stew, we have arranged a couple buckets of shrimp and blue crabs for this years festivities from our buddy Cptn John. Man this has got my mouth watering. We will also be heading over to Bill Green's "Gullah Grub" on the same St Helenas Island where the Frogmore stew was born to enjoy a lunch of she crab soup from the master of Gullah cooking.
Thanks for sharing your families recipe!
Leave it as it is. The ages have been at work on it and man can only mar it. T.R.

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reidrods
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Re: clam chowder

#6

Post by reidrods »

snorider,

You're welcome. It's not really a "boil". More of a "steam", but everything else is the same. Your buckets of shrimp and blue crabs sound great!
Two years ago in Ocean City I went crabbing from a dock and we had a huge crab boil - my first one. Now you've got my mouth watering.

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