Maryland-Style Clam Chowder
Submitted by Michelle Maggs
The first time I attempted to make clam chowder from scratch was when I was in high school and we spent a week at Mary Virginia Cullen’s (Joanne Carroccio’s mother) house at Green Point in Maryland. We had caught some clams and made the chowder with them and some fresh vegetables from the Cullen’s garden. Over the years my husband Kelley and I have fine-tuned that first attempt and this is sort of how we make it now, using frozen clams. It is not a “low-fat” version.
Ingredients
12 oz. of center cut bacon
4 oz. of butter
2 leeks, chopped
3-4 stalks of celery, chopped
8 oz. of clam juice
3-4 medium red potatoes, diced
1 large fresh tomato, diced
3-4 corn on the cob, kernels sliced off
Cayenne
1 lb. of frozen (cooked) clam meat
1 pt. of whole milk
1 pt. light cream
Directions
Thaw clams; while thawing go to step 2
Fry bacon in skillet until crisp, drain on paper towels, crumble and set aside
Melt butter in a Dutch oven, add leeks and celery, and sauté until softened
Add clam juice, potatoes, and tomatoes (and corn at this time if uncooked)
While veggies are simmering, add salt and cayenne to taste
When potatoes are cooked, but still “al dente,” add clams and bacon and stir everything well (if using cooked corn, add at this time)
Add just enough milk to almost cover ingredients in the pot, stir and heat through (watch so it doesn’t boil)
Add cream, stir and heat through, but don’t boil
Taste and adjust salt and cayenne to taste
Serve with French bread and American wine—make a toast to the Maryland Eastern Shore!