A delicious repost

We're busy, busy, busy around here this weekend. I'll be back with tidbits from the past days on Tuesday. But, for now, I wanted to do a little repost. As some of you might know, my blog was featured in the summer edition of Artful Blogging.



Since then, I've been getting a lot of e-mails regarding this particular photo:



A lot of people remarked about how delicious my clam chowder looked in the photo, but were disappointed (after sifting through all my archives) to find the photo with no recipe. So, for everyone who asked for my secret clam chowder recipe. Here you go... (Fair warning: it is very time-consuming, but WELL worth it!)

The broth:

4 slices of bacon
Olive oil
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
16 littleneck clams, scrubbed
Juice from 1/2 a lemon
1/2 C. white wine
3 C. water

In a large pot, over med. heat, add bacon & saute until fat is rendered and bacon is browned (about 5 min). Remove the cooked bacon, and discard. Add 1-count of the olive oil to the pot along with the onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are translucent (3-5 min). Add clams, lemon juice, wine and water; bring to a low boil. Reduce heat, cover pot, simmer 10-15 min to open the clams. Remove the clams from the pot, discarding any that didn't open. Using a colander, strain broth into a bowl. Pull the clams from their shells, chop them; set aside. Clean out the soup pot before reusing it to make the soup base.

The soup base:

2 Tbs. butter
Extra-virgin olive oil
4 slices bacon, chopped
1 Vidalia onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 C. all-purpose flour
Leaves from 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 C. heavy whipping cream
2 Idaho potatoes, peeled & diced
Salt & pepper
16 littleneck clams, scrubbed well
1/4 C. chopped fresh parsley

Heat the butter and 1 Tbs, EVOO in soup pot over medium heat. Add bacon, onion, garlic and thyme to the pot. Cook until the bacon renders its fat and veggies are soft (8-10 min). Dust the veggies with flour; stir to coat. Pour in reserved clam broth; bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the cream and potatoes. Again, bring to a boil. Boil hard for about 7 minutes, or until the potatoes start to break down. Add the previously chopped clams; season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the uncooked clams that are still in their shells. Cover, and simmer to open the clams (about 10 minutes). Discard any unopened clams. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately with thick slices of French bread. Enjoy!

That made me hungry just typing it! I might just have to make an emergency trip to the market for some clams...