THE CHEF FROM HELL

Clam chowder, like most of the great American Regional soups, makes its culinary statement through the use of local ingredients.  Also, like many of these regional soups, there is an endless variety in the types of recipes that dot the landscape... whew!  So in working up my own version of this particular chowder I did the most sensible thing... "What's that, bub?" Well, I made sure that  my chowder recipe reflected the veritable ocean of clam chowder that I've ingested since moving to the shores of Long Island in 1977...heh, heh!  Such is the way that true cooks find their way home in the dark, n'est pas?

Today's recipe employs a larger version of the littleneck clam called the Quahog clam.  Quahog clams, also known as "chowder" clams, have a firmer texture and a stronger flavor than littlenecks.  Most folks that aren't from the East Coast call them "hard shell clams" or simply "hard clams."  I find them to be the best type of clam to use for a stuffed clam recipe of any type.  Prior to making this recipe, make sure your clams have been refridgerated for at least 2 hours.  They're easier to work with if they are cold.

Ingredients:

2 cans whole peeled Tomatoes (16 oz each)

2 dozen Quahog Clams

2 cups Chianti Wine

1 TBS unsalted Butter, room temperature

1/2 lb Salt Pork, skin removed & cut into small cubes

3 cloves fresh Garlic, crushed with the flat side of your knife

3 Spanish Onions, peeled & chopped coarse

4 stalks Celery, chopped coarse

1/4 cup fresh Basil Leaves, diced

4 large Red Potatoes, cut into medium sized cubes

1 quart Clam Juice or a seafood stock of some sort

Dry Spice Mix:

1/4 tsp Thyme

2 large Bay Leaves

1/2 tsp Rosemary, crushed fine

1 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt

Cooking Procedure:

In a food process, pulse the tomatoes with their liquid-- do this 3 or 4 times to break the tomatoes up a bit--- once this is done, set them aside for the moment

Rinse the clams with cold water & scrub them well with a stiff brush

Note:  Discard any of the clams that are partially open already and ones that have cracked shells... chances are these are not edible, eh?

Once your clams are clean, place them in a large pot & pour the wine over the clams

Place a lid on the pot & raise the heat to high

Steam the clams until they open & then remove the pot from the heat

Strain the liquid (which we'll call "chianti juice") into a container & reserve it for later in the recipe

Once the clams are cool enough to handle, chop them all up coarsely & then set them aside as well

In the same pot that you steamed the clams, heat the butter & salt pork over medium high heat

Cook this down until the salt pork is golden brown

Add the onions, celery, garlic & dry spice mix

Stir well & cook this down until the onions begin to turn clear

Add the fresh basil leaves

Stir well & let this cook for 3 minutes

Add the potatoes & let them cook down for about 5 minutes

Add the processed tomatoes

Stir well & let this cook down for 10 minutes

Add the reserved "chianti juice" from your steamed clam pot & the Clam juice (or seafood stock)

Stir well & let the pot come up to a high simmer

Reduce the heat to low

Let this soup simmer for 1 hour

Remove & discard the bay leaves

Add the chopped up clams

Stir well & let the soup simmer another hour or so...

Remember: time is a soup's best friend!