Manhattan (Red) Clam Chowder

   

    This is a recipe that takes us back many years . . . probably the late 1970s or early ‘80s. A friend, Nancy Klotz and her husband, invited us to dinner. She served this soup along with homemade bread on a chilly winter evening.

     Neither Barry or I had ever had clam chowder but it  became an instant favorite. Although I’ve made this recipe at least once a year ever since, I’ve always worked from Nancy’s handwritten version of the recipe.

     Since that original tasting, we're not only fans of the Manhattan broth-base chowder but also like the New England cream-based variety as well.

Manhattan (Red) Clam Chowder       Makes 3 quarts / 12 servings

4 slices bacon

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

½ cup diced green pepper

1 (1 lb. 12 oz.) can undrained tomatoes, diced or broken up

3 (8 oz.) cans minced clams

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

1½ teaspoons ground thyme

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

1.  Sauté bacon in large kettle.

2.  Add onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook over low heat 5 minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes.

4.  Drain clams but save liquid, adding to a quart measuring cup . Set clams aside. Add enough water to the clam juice to make 1-quart. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

5.  Add potatoes and simmer, covered, another 20 minutes.

6.  Add clams, simmer uncovered, for 15 minutes.

7.  Add parsley right before serving.

Recipe without photos . . .

Manhattan (Red) Clam Chowder       Makes 3 quarts / 12 servings

4 slices bacon

1 cup diced onion

1 cup diced celery

½ cup diced green pepper

1 (1 lb. 12 oz.) can undrained tomatoes, diced or broken up

3 (8 oz.) cans minced clams

2 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 bay leaf

1½ teaspoons ground thyme

3 cups peeled and diced potatoes

2 tablespoon chopped parsley

1.  Sauté bacon in large kettle.

2.  Add onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook over low heat 5 minutes.

3.  Add tomatoes.

4.  Drain clams but save liquid, adding to a quart measuring cup . Set clams aside. Add enough water to the clam juice to make 1-quart. Add salt, pepper, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.

5.  Add potatoes and simmer, covered, another 20 minutes.

6.  Add clams, simmer uncovered, for 15 minutes.

7.  Add parsley right before serving.