Chowder!

May 18, 2017

I never met a (clam) chowder I didn’t like.
Annette 

My recent long weekend in Cape Cod reconfirmed my love for clam chowder! During my three-day stay on “The Cape”, I eagerly devoured this “savory soup of the sea” five times!  Borrowing from the words of classic movie actor Will Rogers, I never met a
(clam) chowder I didn’t like!

  My Delicious Three-Day Chowder “Spree”

Each and every clam chowder I happily devoured was uniquely wonderful.  Clam chowder falls into the category of one of those few dishes that are distinctly unique to the cook who has prepared it, yet are still recognizable to the palate. (Other dishes in this category include, spaghetti sauce, potato salad, Thanksgiving dressing/stuffing, and chocolate chip cookies.) Follow me now, on my magical, marvelous clam chowder “tour”.

British Beer Company
Falmouth, Massachusetts

Gazing out of the window while dining at British Beer Company affords restaurant patrons a view of the water with Martha’s Vineyard winking in the distance.  I enjoyed my hearty clam chowder here with tasty fish ‘n chips.(Sorry, I forgot to take the fish ‘n chips photo before it was almost completely demolished! :o))

Captain Parker’s New England Clam Chowder
Cape Cod, Massachusetts 

For Cape Codders, good clam chowder is as close as the local grocery store.  Dale’s sweet mom surprised us by having a container of Captain Parker’s award winning chowder waiting for us upon our arrival! YUM! During this blog post research, I found that the
Food Network has the recipe for this chowder here.  I have not tried it, yet, but it is on my todo list. :o)

Baxter’s Boathouse
Hyannis, Massachusetts

Despite the rainy day, we enjoyed our meal and water view at Baxter’s Boathouse, built over the Hyannis Harbor. The clam chowder was a delicious accompaniment to my yummy Cape Cod lobster roll.

Fisherman’s View
Sandwich, Massachsuetts

In celebration of my husband’s , and my mother in-law’s birthday, we dined at the Fisherman’s View.  It was fun watching the barges amble by, as the sun set. The clam chowder did not disappoint here, either, and preceeded perfectly prepared jumbo shrimp.

Seafood Sam’s
Sandwich, Massachusetts

Always a must when visiting “The Cape” is a trip to Seafood Sam’s. Serving fun, low-key “fast food” in Cape Cod style, Seafood Sam’s presented me with the opportunity to partake in one last lobster roll and a final bowl of clam chowder before heading home.

I was saddened to learn, on this visit, that the blinking lobster pagers no longer beckon patrons to pick up their food.  Apparently, the supplier (of lobster pagers) no longer offers them for sale, and replacing faulty ones was no longer an option for Seafood Sam’s.  :o(

A legendary Seafood Sam’s Lobster “Pager”, shown here in all its glory, is now just a distant memory.
May 2015

My brother in-law tells me that Hyannis puts on quite a chowder festival!
I am seriously considering attending the Cape Cod Chowder Festival in 2018! :o)

The Cadillac of Oyster Crackers

The one thing that my recent quintuple of clam chowders had in common (Yes, they did all have clams in them.  ha ha), was that each bowl of lusciousness was accompanied by  a small package of Westminster Bakers Co. Oyster Crackers . These crispy gems are the perfect chowder compliment. In fact, these crackers bump up the quality of any clam chowder to the next level. They are the Cadillac of oyster crackers. So much so, that I just had to buy some for myself.  Thanks to Amazon, I now have these Oyster Cracker as my own. Click here, if you wish to order some for yourself. ( I am, unfortunately, not receiving any compensation for this mention.) 

My box of Westminster Bakers Co. Oyster Crackers 

Moments in Cape Cod

It is always nice to visit family in Cape Cod and take in the local sights. Below are a few photos of our outings during my recent visit.

The ever-shifting sand always provides an interesting perspective near
Sandy Neck Beach Park.

Footprints head toward the Sandy Neck Beach on this overcast afternoon.

Some selfie silliness on the Sandwich Boardwalk with my hubby and son.

A sailboat quietly makes its way up the Cape Cod Canal.

My hubby and his mom enjoying their stroll by the Cape Cod Canal.
Why do I suddenly feel the urge to break out in a chorus of Singin’ in the Rain? :o)

The Evolution of Annette’s Clam Chowder

As you have most certainly have ascertained by now, I am clam chowder fan! Awhile back, with the help from my array of thrifty, nifty cookbooks, I set out to create a chowder recipe of my own. I took the best of several recipes, attempting to keep it as uncomplicated as possible, while taking into account that fresh clams are not all that plentiful in my “neck of the woods”. With a little trial and error, I came up with this tasty clam chowder recipe below. Let me know if you decide to give this one a try.  I’d love to hear from you! (The comment section is at the bottom of this  post.)

A few cookbooks, from my library, that helped inspire my chowder creation.

The  Recipe

Ingredients needed for Annette’s Clam Chowder

Annette’s Clam Chowder

Ingredients

Chowder
1/2 lb. bacon, cut up in small pieces (I use the natural, no nitrate variety)
3/4-1 medium onion, diced/chopped
4 (8 fluid ounce) jars of natural clam juice
1/2 lb. Russet potatoes (about 2 large potatoes), peeled and diced,
3-4 cans of canned clams (6.5 ounce) with liquid, 
1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 and 1/2 cups whole milk (I have used skim in a pinch, and it was just as good.)
1/2 cup light cream (half and half works, if light cream is unavailable)

Roux
3/4-1 cup butter
1 cup all purpose flour

Old Bay Seasoning
Coarse ground black pepper
Westminster Bakers Co. Oyster Crackers

Directions

Pot # 1
In soup pot, add bacon. Cook over medium heat for a few minutes.
Add chopped onion, cooking until onions are softened and clear,
but not overly-browned, and making sure that the bacon is cooked.

Drain off grease.

Add clam juice, diced potatoes, canned clam’s broth (save clams, as they go in later) with liquid, and pepper.
Bring mixture to boil, stirring occasionally, keeping potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Pot #2
In the meantime, in small pan make the roux.
Melt 3/4-1 cup butter over medium heat.
Mix flour into butter with whisk, until completely smooth.
Cook over low heat, stirring continually, while waiting for pot #1 to boil.

When soup pot #1 is boiling, and potatoes are tender, add the cooked roux from pot #2 , stirring (or whisking) together .
Bring the combined mixture back to a boil.
(Make sure that it comes back to a complete boil.  Failing to do so will result in rancid mess.)
Remove from stove.

Combine the milk and cream in a separate container to heat.
Heat the milk and cream mixture carefully on the stove, or in the microwave,
or temper the cream and milk (add some hot chowder to it until the cream and milk are as hot as the chowder),
Add to the chowder.
Add canned clams. (Do not overcook, as this makes the clams tough.)
Heat chowder back up on medium heat, just until hot, and clams are hot.

Ladle into individual bowls immediately,
serving with coarse ground black pepper,
Old Bay seasoning,  and oyster crackers,
or cool soup pot over a baking rack before refrigerating, to reheat and eat later. 

Enjoy!

Gammy Love

Pink bubble gum cigars announce the arrival of my newest grandchild!

…with grandmotherly smiles,
I am proud to announce that this GAMMY now has six grandchildren!

My newest,
Ryli Jade, was born on April 24, 2017,
weighing in at 6 lbs. 15oz. and 19.5 inches long.

Enjoying Gammy snuggles with Ryli.
April 27, 2017

For Previous Posts with Cape Cod Photos, Click here and here.

Thanks for reading,
Annette

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This sign from Seafood Sam’s/Sandwich,  proudly proclaims its town of Sandwich .