Anna Hunt's For Dinner: Clam Chowder... Comfort Food!

You know that thing that reminds you of HOME... for me it is Clam Chowder! I was born in San Luis Obispo, California and my Mother Liz and Auntie Sandy (okay and Splash Cafe) used to make this beautiful soup that screams Comfort Food to me!

This is my take on it...

Start with bacon. I know I said that butter makes everything better... so does BACON!!! So render, or melt the bacon fat, low and don't move it too much.

Let it leave some pieces on the bottom to flavor the next level... which is potatoes... I love keeping it rustic and leave the skin on!

*NOTE: I cut the thick part of the celery in half. I cut the celery like a "rainbow" to cut through the fibers... it you run through celery the other way you might not make it through and you have a "string" machine... try to make is uniform and the same size as you potatoes and onions. One onion, three ribs of celery and three potatoes...

Drain off the bacon pieces and leave about a tablespoon of bacon grease in the pan and try to leave the bits of bacon in there...

Use about 4 tablespoons on butter to flavor and coat the base layer... it will keep it creamy.

Potatoes, onions, celery...

Salt and Pepper, thyme, red pepper flakes, garlic and onion powder.

Depending on how you like your chowder... do you like it more broth-E or really thick. Today I am making it chunky and thick! I add a couple tablespoons of flour, cook it a couple minutes and then add JUST of the clam juice.

Transfer the goods to a pot and add milk (2%) slowly and bring it to a gentle simmer. Taste... Salt? Pepper? Ohhh, garlic salt... yeah! I also added half of a can of corn. The kernel milk and kernels are sweet and a great contrast with the bacon and clams. Add that back into the mixture.

*2% milk... I could use cream or whole milk although I don't think it is necessary... use your potatoes for texture... cook it through and you don't have to use extra fat.

Let it simmer... notice as you cook this soup the texture. I let the potatoes get disfigured, fall apart and turn into texture... the celery will turn more translucent and you won't even hardly see the onions. It is all about the texture... it will coat the spoon! (plus, with the corn)

Bubble, bubble, bubble... stir, stir, stir... gingerly and tenderly finish your creation. Don't hurry it (even if Matt is starving and says, "Come on babe... it's ready.")

NOW... and only now are we ready to add the CLAMS... and parsley. If you add them when the juice is added the clams will be tough, chewy and you will not even taste them. You loose the sea! And the fresh or grass-ness or the parsley.