Mmmm, again with the "soups". I've made this a few times and it's always been great. The bacon and garlic were my own doing... they just make everything taste better! One thing I loved about the original recipe was the use of red wine vinegar, it gives the chowder such a great flavor.
Boston Clam Chowder
Adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe
3 strips of bacon,
chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
1 cup onions, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
2 cups
potatoes, peeled and diced
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 quart
half and half
2 6.5 oz cans chopped clams
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons
red wine vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- Drain the clams and reserve the liquid.
- In a large pot over medium-high heat, cook the bacon for about 5-7 minutes.
- Put the vegetables in and pour the clam juice and water over the top. Simmer until the vegetables are almost tender, about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan melt the butter and add the flour, making a roux with a wire whisk. Constantly stirring, add the half and half slowly. Cook and stir until smooth and thickened, without boiling.
- When slightly thickened, add the roux to the vegetables and add the clams, salt, vinegar and pepper.
- You can keep the chowder warm {without boiling} for a up to an hour or serve immediately.
Cheddar Bay Biscuits
376 g bread flour
7 g salt
3 g garlic {powder}
22 g baking powder
128 g butter, cubed {cold}
165 g cheddar cheese, shredded
213 g milk
garlic and parsley butter {recipe below}
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
- In a bowl, add in the flour, salt, garlic powder, baking powder and butter. Mix with your fingertips, making sure the butter stays about the size of hazelnuts.
- Add in the cheese and milk and mix until combined, making sure not to overwork.
- Form the dough into a rectangle or square and using a circular cutter, push it down but don't twist {this helps the biscuits to rise evenly when baked}.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, brush with the garlic and parsley butter.
Garlic and Parsley Butter
3 tablespoon butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon garlic {powder}
3/4 teaspoon parsley flakes {dried}
- In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients.
The biscuits are
something I just whipped up. Traditionally, I serve this soup with a
more simplistic version of this recipe but because of taking my baking
class, I feel that using somewhat of a pre-prepared method just isn't
fair to myself and others around me. Plus, it's fun to test out recipes
to see how they will work out!
Enjoy!
Ashley
