6 servings
Clam Broth
2 lb 900 g clams, live
5 cups 1.25 L water
1 cup 310 g carrots chopped
1 cup 150 g onions chopped
1 cup 112 g celery chopped
8 oz 224 g shrimp shells
1 bouquet garni, parsley, thyme, tarragon tied together (fresh is best, dried is good)
Instructions
Rinse the clams to remove any remaining sand or dirt before you start cooking.
Add the live clams and the cold water to a medium-size stockpot.
Place the remaining ingredients into the pot. Place the lid on the pot. Turn the heat to medium high and bring the water to a bowl. As soon as the water starts bubbling, turn the pot down to medium to simmer.
Use quahog type clams cherrystone, littleneck, will take longer to cook (about 10 minutes).
Using a slotted spoon, remove the cooked clams from the “juice.” Toss any clams that did not open up, which means that they were dead before cooking and aren’t safe to eat.
To strain the sand and dirt from the clam juice, take a fine mesh strainer and line it with a coffee filter. Pour the clam broth liquid from the pot through the strainer and into a bowl or a quart-size measuring cup.
The clam juice recipe should make about 5 cups of broth, if it doesn’t add a little water to bring it up to the 5 cups mark.
The remaining strained clam juice is now ready to use
Chowder
1/4 lb. 115 g salt pork or bacon, diced
1/2 cup 125 ml butter
1 cup 250 ml diced onion
1 cup 250 ml diced celery
3 cups 750 ml diced potatoes
1 cup 250 ml flour
4 cups 1 L fish stock or clam broth (above)
2 cups 500 ml chopped clams
1 cup 250 g chopped shrimp
1 cup 250 g bay scallops
2 cups 500 g chopped salted cod (soaked in cold water for at least 4 hours)
2 cups 500 ml heavy cream
1/4 tsp 1 ml white pepper
2 tsp 3 ml each fresh thyme, chopped parsley, snipped chives
1 tsp 5 ml salt
In a large pot, fry the bacon until crisp. Drain the (fried meat) scrunchions from the fat, reserve both.
Return the fat to the pot, add the butter and vegetables, sauté the vegetables until tender.
Stir in the flour, cook for 2 minutes.
Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Simmer until thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir frequently. Scoop into 6 large bowls, garnish and serve very hot.
To Make Shrimp Whale & Mussel Garnish
4 oz 120 g raw shrimp
4 oz 120 g raw bay scallops
½ tsp 3 ml Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp 5 ml Dijon mustard
16 16 frozen peas
Peel the shells and remove the veins from the shrimp, reserve 16 shrimp tails from the shells
Process the ingredients (except the reserved tails) together in a small blender into a smooth paste.
Form the paste into the a Chinese soup spoon, place two peas for the eyes, one shrimp tail on the top for the dorsal fin and a second at the end for the tail.
1 lb. 500 g PEI fresh mussels
1 cup 250 ml clam broth (above)
Place the shrimp spoons into a large skillet, surround the shrimp with the mussels. Pour in the clam broth. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Use to garnish the plated soup.