What I Ate For Dinner

Clam Chowder is a simple soup, though often outrageously overpriced. I was in New York recently and stopped in on a brisk afternoon in Times Square for a bowl and it set me back half the price to see Plácido Domingo at the Met. Granted, I only paid $25 for a standing room ticket; but still: we're dealing with one of the cheapest shellfish, some root vegetables, a bit of stock, some milk and half and half. Needless to say, making it yourself will not only save some cash, but in all likelihood, will also yield something better than what's commercially available. Bon courage!

Now, dealing with the clams is no doubt the toughest part of this preparation. The best option is to buy fresh clams and shuck them yourself. This takes a bit of technique. The video I reference while cooking in my video has since been removed from Youtube. This is a shame, since it was quite informative, but rest assured that there are several different methods for opening and shucking a clam, many of which can still be found on Youtube or in cookbooks.

The basics of clam shucking are pretty straightforward. There are two muscles attached to the top and bottom shell, and these are what you need to sever to remove the clam. Ideally, you'll be able to get a shucking knife in the front of the clam (that is, the rounded side, not the flat area in the back where the joint is). You need not pry the whole clam open, and remember not to spill the the liquor. Once you've inserted the shucking knife into the front of the clam, scrape it along the top of the shell, cutting both muscles that attach the clam. Then open or twist the top shell, and run the knife along the bottom, again releasing the clam from the two muscles attaching it to the shell. This can take some practice, and as I mention, there are all sorts of methods of entry explained elsewhere online, in cookbooks and on Youtube.

But please be advised: you should use a folded towel in your non-shucking hand (that is, the hand holding the clam, not the knife) for safety until you get the hang of it (and maybe even after that). You can also open the clam from behind by inserting the knife near the joint, although this is less elegant than approaching from the front and can lead to more shell debris.

At any rate, I think you'll find it's pretty straightforward once you've knocked a few out. The important part is to avoid sand and shell debris, and conserve the wonderful liquor that accrues in the shell of the clam. That way, you'll have some great clam meat as well as some additional clam flavoring. You can, if you must, use those strange clams that grow in jars, too.

After that, it's about as easy as it can be. Here's the recipe, based on Mark Bittman's (How to Cook Everything, pp. 69-70):

1. Render the fat out of diced bacon. Remove bacon solids, leaving the rendered fat for the vegetables. Sauté shallots, sweet potatoes and corn in the fat until soft and colored.
2. Add a thick dusting of flour and chopped fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme, etc.) on top of the vegetables. Add enough stock--chicken, veggie, or fish--to submerge vegetables. Stir, allowing the stock to reduce and cook the potatoes until soft. At this point, turn off the heat and allow the pan to cool, so as not to scald the milk.
3. Add one part half/half and one part milk, as well as the clams with their liquor (I usually go with about a half pound per portion). Turn heat back on low or medium-low, allowing the soup to subtly simmer. Add balsamic if desired. Stir regularly.
4. The soup is at its thickest when it "boils." This doesn't mean a rolling boil, like water on high heat, but a few bubbles on the surface as the soup simmers.
5. If you would like a thicker soup, add a simple roux (equal parts olive oil and flour). Mix in roux and simmer until you achieve desired consistency.
6. Before service, reincorporate diced bacon. Garnish with herbs and diced bacon. Serve with a well-toasted baguette.