Recipes

Eastcoast Seafood Chowder

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.