Chowdah/Chowder--Cook-Off 20

[misstenacity]

No questions, Jason, only admiration!

I can just hear that bugger sitting in the soup bowl saying, "ya wanna piece a' me???".

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[Gifted Gourmet]

This really reminds me of the Irish song, Molly Malone:

In Dublin's fair city

Where girls are so pretty

Twas there that I first met

Sweet Molly Malone

As she wheeled her wheelbarrow

Through streets broad and narrow

Mussels,

Cockles and mussels, alive, alive oh

Alive, alive oh, alive, alive oh,

Crying,

Cockles and mussels, alive, alive oh

listen to music and lyrics to Sweet Molly Malone here

and, yes, Jason, to your cool, kosher idea of using a smoked fish for that salty smoky taste to keep everything dairy and creamy ... milchig, in Yiddish ...

so, Jason, a question: is your soup not unlike cioppino or bouilliabaise?

[Jason Perlow]

Melissa:

Technically speaking, we are calling this a "Seafood Chowder" but the first course is really a cioppino or a creole-style bouillabase, eating the shellfish in a broth. However...

Since we only got to eat one plate of that stuff each (with 2 blue crabs apeice -- man are those suckers a pain in the ass to eat!) we took all the shells off the remaining shellfish, threw the meat back in the pot with all the remaining liquid (like 2 quarts worth) and good stuff, and I added a can of chopped clams in juice for good measure, and put it in the "outdoor fridge" for overnight "curing" so we can have lunch tomorrow and to allow the flavors to mix up real nice, which will be the actual Chowder part. Two meals in one!

White Castles at Midnight.

[Gifted Gourmet]

Thanks for the clarification... say, Perlows one and all: what time exactly do you folks have lunch??

Sweet Molly Malone .. better version actually.. with a statue and background information as well .. plus the music being sung .. nice ... alive, alive, oh ...

[Chris Amirault]

Wow! Folks are going great guns! I'm so thrilled to see some chowdah down in Austin.... And Jason, thanks for the step-by-step. I'm hoping to make Jasper White's clam chowder with quahogs later this week. Glad to be beaten to the punch!

[slkinsey]

Hmmm.... I might just have to get in on this. The chowder we always used to make in my Boston youth was a clam and corn chowder. Haven't had that chowder in 20 years at this point. Maybe it's time to revive it.

I've also had good results making a chowder using the Ducasse/Psaltis method, which involves steaming chowder clams open and making a puree of the clam meat. The clam puree is used as a base/thickener for the chowder and the clam liqueur from the steaming is used as the liquid component. For the actual pieces of clam, I used littlenecks. This is entirely nontraditional, as one would normally use big, tough chowder clams or quahogs, which would have to be cut into small pieces to be edible. And yet the result seems quite traditional somehow, albeit with a much intensified clam flavor from the puree.

[Chris Amirault]

This sounds fantastic, Sam. I'll be very eager to check this out.

[Susan in FL]

Ah, what fond recollections. It's really interesting the regional differences in clam chowder. Raised in Delaware, I grew up on "Manhattan" clam chowder. (I remember in conversations my mom had with her friends about cooking back in the day, the question was always whether one made Manhattan or New England clam chowder.) We went clamming a lot as a family and were always less pleased when we got a lot of chowder clams instead of what we called cherrystones. Back then we called cherrystones what are now called top necks. Well, my parents got out there clamming, and I stayed in the boat. I've always been scared to dig my bare feet into the bottom of any body of water. They clammed in waist- to shoulder-deep water, with their toes, and when they felt the clams they promptly scooped them up with the clam rakes. I don't remember many weekends during the summer that either my mom or my aunt didn't make a pot of clam chowder. That was the appetizer for almost every summer weekend dinner. And then and now, always side meat or salt pork -- never bacon.

So anyway, we have chowder clams a-plenty right now. Whenever Russ goes to Delaware, he brings home either 50 or 100, and we scrub them and freeze them. It was a wonderful discovery when we realized that when they thaw, they open just so nicely, eliminating that dreaded job of opening those tightly-shut big ol' live chowder clams, like we did for so many years.

Coming soon to the Burgess house, clam chowder!

[jmcgrath]

I suppose living in Iowa I am going to have to pay homage to the state by making corn chowder. A little early in the season to find good Iowa sweet corn though. Hrm.. I wonder if Devotay has any ideas where I can get some. We'll have to see.

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Try John Copes Corn Yum!

Jim

[Jason Perlow]

That was the appetizer for almost every summer weekend dinner. And then and now, always side meat or salt pork -- never bacon.

Yeah, I really wish we had easy access to salt pork up here in North Jersey, but I wouldn't know where to get it. Newark, maybe, in the Portuguese stores? So sadly, I had to use bacon.

The soups came out amazing, irregardless. Had to use a little bit more salt though.

[CaliPoutine]

Here is a quick cupboard chowder I made this morning. Bottled clam juice, bacon, onion, shallots, fresh thyme celery, flour, whole milk, canned clams and baking potatoes. I also threw in some herbes de provence and tobasco.

I *wish* we had access to fresh clams around here, but sadly, we dont.

[slkinsey]

Yeah, I really wish we had easy access to salt pork up here in North Jersey, but I wouldn't know where to get it. Newark, maybe, in the Portuguese stores? So sadly, I had to use bacon.

I see salt pork with some regularity in places like Fairway, and even in C-Town groceries in Manhattan. You might try looking in grocery stores that cater mostly to the African American population, as I would think you'd stand a fairly good chance of finding salt pork of fatback (the best alternative to salt pork) there.

[Adam Balic]

What is the major purpose of the salt pork, as a source of cooking fat or as a flavour. Would a good substitiute be a combination of salted fat back and bacon?

[Jensen]

What is the major purpose of the salt pork, as a source of cooking fat or as a flavour. Would a good substitiute be a combination of salted fat back and bacon?

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In the chowders from my youth, my mum never used salt pork at all. If we had a hambone, that was used and, if not, it was bacon. Based on that, I've always thought of the primary purpose as being flavour, with the fat in the bacon (or salt pork) as an added bonus.

Of course, since my youth was spent on an island in the Pacific (and in Canada to boot!) and not the Atlantic, this is likely terribly inauthentic.

Dinner last night was corn chowder made with John Cope's Dried Sweet Corn and ham.

[snowangel]

That was the appetizer for almost every summer weekend dinner. And then and now, always side meat or salt pork -- never bacon.

Yeah, I really wish we had easy access to salt pork up here in North Jersey, but I wouldn't know where to get it. Newark, maybe, in the Portuguese stores? So sadly, I had to use bacon.

The soups came out amazing, irregardless. Had to use a little bit more salt though.

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Jason, I'm surprised that ou can't get salt pork near you. It's available at all of the regular supermarkets here (culinary wasteland). It's in little cryovaced packages, but not near the bacon. At my store, it's by the odd meat parts. Have you asked about it or called to see if they can order some for you?

[TongoRad]

FWIW- Jason, what Susan just described is indeed available at the local supermarkets in small packs (about 2" x 3").

[ChefCrash]

I went nuts today and did the unspeakable. I added Celery to my otherwise unadulterated Chowder!

I liked it!

[little ms foodie]

That brings up a good question- here in Seattle anytime shells are in the broth it is definately cioppino. Chowder being a thick and creamy base with chunks of veggies and seafood. Where is the rest of the world on this?

(btw, I LIKE the Australian's defination! )

Can't wait to see the salmon chowder, yum!!!! I usually do a corn, crab and mushroom chowder in the late summer/early fall. I think I'll go perusing for a good old fashion clam chowder recipe to try.

[Jason Perlow]

FWIW- Jason, what Susan just described is indeed available at the local supermarkets in small packs (about 2" x 3").

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Okay, I'll check next time. I think we've spent our load on Chowder for a little while, though!

[Hiroyuki]

I made wafu (Japanese-style) chowder, using one half of 500 g (approx. 1 lb.) bamboo shoot. The combination of instant dashi powder and milk was much better than I had anticipated. I used the other half to make takikomi gohan (shown on the left).

Did I scare you off in any way?

[Chufi]

I can buy a shellfish here called vongole. (in Dutch : venusschelpen - venus-shells)

Are they clams? Can I use them for clam chowder?

[bavila]

Did I scare you off in any way?

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Only because there's what looks like a hot dog in the soup. I definitely would not count that as salt pork.

[slkinsey]

What is the major purpose of the salt pork, as a source of cooking fat or as a flavour. Would a good substitiute be a combination of salted fat back and bacon?

Both, I'd say. It's definitely to provide some cooking fat, but salt pork also has a distinctive, if relatively mild flavor. In my opinion, to be really traditional you don't want smokey flavors in a chowder (salt pork is not smoked). So I wouldn't use bacon, unless you're talking about a nonsmoked bacon. The good news is if you can buy something in a store called "salted fat back" I think you've found some salt pork. The difference between fatback and salt pork is that the salt pork is cured with salt. Lardo might be an okay substitute if that can be found and salt pork cannot.

I can buy a shellfish here called vongole. (in Dutch : venusschelpen - venus-shells) Are they clams? Can I use them for clam chowder?

Vongole is Italian for "clams" -- so I think you're doing just fine. It's unlikely you'll find truly traditional clams for this dish, however. Chowder is traditionally made with "chowder clams" or quahogs. These are very large clams (the shell larger than the palm of your hand). They contribute a very flavorful broth when steamed open, but are too tough to eat as-is and must be chopped into small pieces. Most likely your vongole are of an appropriately small and tender size to steam and eat with spaghetti. They'll still make a very good chowder, but you may need to boost the flavor with some clam broth.

[Adam Balic]

I can buy a shellfish here called vongole. (in Dutch : venusschelpen - venus-shells)

Are they clams? Can I use them for clam chowder?

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As Sam mentioned, I'm sure it would be fine. The traditional hard-shelled quahogs Mercenaria mercenaria have actually been natralized in England (they like the warm waters around power plant outlets), not sure about your part of he world.

In your part of the world "Sandmusling" are what in the USA are called softshelled clams. Not sure it these are good for chowder though.

I plan to use razor clams, which are cheap and plentiful here.

Edited March 6, 2006 by Adam Balic (log)

[Jason Perlow]

And of course, you DON'T have to use clams to make a chowder. Any kind of seafood can be used. In Brooke Dojny's book, she has mussel chowders and fish chowders featured from restaurants in different parts of New England as well. In the Caribbean, they use conch.