New England Clam Chowder →

Food memories from my childhood are some of my fondest memories. As a native New Englander who spent the summers of his early years near the Rhode Island shore digging for clams, crabbing, and surf fishing, I am somewhat opinionated about seafood. In those days my grandfather and I could gather a bushel basket of littlenecks and cherrystone clams in a few hours. As we shucked them, we ate our fill of the succulent, briny raw littlenecks, then my grandmother would turn the harvest into clam cakes (fritters) and delicious New England Clam Chowder; sometimes the clear version, but my favorite was creamy, briny chowder full of chopped clams, diced potatoes, onion, celery, and salt pork or bacon. In honor of those childhood memories, recently I decided to research clam chowder recipes to develop my own ideal version of New England Clam Chowder: no tough, tasteless, over-cooked clams, or thick, pasty soup you-can-stand-a-spoon-up-in for me. My quest was for a delicate, creamy soup full of tender, barely cooked clams, accompanied by the usual potatoes, salt pork (or bacon), and aromatic vegetables. The following recipe meets my gastro-geek standards thanks to food consultant J. Kenji López-Alt who taught me about the magic of emulsifying the broth to create a delicate, creamy soup base without using flour and when to add the chopped clams so they don’t end up tough and tasteless. Apart from the broth, I tweaked my recipe departing from López-Alt’s to meet my own culinary aesthetic. The link to the original López-Alt recipe can be found at the end of this post. If you cook at home, you don’t have to settle for less-than-perfect clam chowder. Here’s my version. Enjoy! 

New England Clam Chowder
Serves 4 as a main; 6 as a starter

Ingredients

• ¼ pound pancetta, salt pork, or slab bacon, cut into ¼ inch dice (Salt pork adds saltiness; bacon will add a smokey note to the chowder; pancetta is not traditional, but I like it in place of smokey bacon.)

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

• 2 stalks of celery, finely chopped (about 1 cup)

• 1 cup bottled clam juice

• 2 ½ -3 pounds live cherrystone or littleneck clams (1-1 ½ cups chopped. See *Notes)

• 1 quart whole milk

• 1 pound+ of russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes (You want about 4 cups of diced potatoes)

• 2 bay leaves

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (Optional: use a pinch of celery salt in place of the Kosher salt.)

• 1 cup heavy cream

• Oyster crackers, saltines, or croutons for serving

Preparation

1. Sauté the diced pancetta or bacon in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the fat has rendered, and the pork is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Add butter, onion, and celery. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes longer. Add the clam juice and stir to combine. (Note: if using chopped clams from a fish monger, in a separate pan, bring the bottled clam juice to a boil with a bay leaf, add the chopped clams and shut the heat off. Wait a minute and strain the clam juice into the saute reserving the clams for the last step.)

2. Add whole clams and increase heat to high. Cover and cook, opening the lid to stir occasionally, until clams begin to open, about 3 minutes. As clams open, remove them with tongs and transfer to a large bowl, keeping as many juices in the pot as possible and keeping the lid shut as much as possible. After 8 minutes, discard any clams that have not yet begun to open.

3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add the milk, potatoes, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt and a few turns of freshly ground black pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and just starting to break down, about 8-10 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, remove the meat from the clamshells and chop it. Discard the empty shells (or sterilize them for a few minutes in boiling water and save them for your next batch of Baked Stuffed Clams). Transfer the chopped clams and as much juice as possible to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Let the clams drain, then transfer the chopped clams to a separate bowl. Set both bowls aside.

5. Once the potatoes are tender, pour the entire mixture through a fine-mesh strainer into the bowl with the clam juice gently stirring the mixture to allow the liquids to pass through. Transfer the strained solids to the bowl with the chopped clams. You should end up with a white, semi-broken broth in the bowl underneath, and the chopped clams, potatoes, pancetta, and aromatics in a separate bowl.

6. Transfer the liquid to a blender and blend on medium-high speed until smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Return the liquid and solids back to the Dutch oven. Add heavy cream and stir to combine. Reheat until well heated and simmering. (do not boil!) Taste and season with salt and pepper to suite your taste. Serve immediately with oyster crackers or Saltines.

Wine Pairing: Dry, white wines like Chablis, Vermentino, Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc

*Notes
For the best results, use live clams. If live clams are unavailable, skip steps 2 and 4. In step 6, add 1-1 ½ cups of chopped clams from your fishmonger, canned, or frozen clams to the chowder before heating through to serve.
Adapted from a recipe from: https://www.seriouseats.com/new-england-clam-chowder-recipe
J. Kenji López-Alt- food consultant to SeriousEats and NY Time food columnist
History:
https://www.thymemachinecuisine.com/single-post/2019/02/25/new-england-clam-chowder-the-history-of-the-name-origins-and-a-war
https://ictnews.org/archive/they-stole-our-soup-the-native-origins-of-new-england-clam-chowder

Cajun Bean Soup →

A common conundrum after cooking a bone-in ham is what to do with the ham bone and leftover ham. Problem solved! Loaded with healthy legumes, sofrito vegetables, and hearty spices, this soup makes good use of your leftover ham bone and some of the extra ham from that Easter Ham you cooked. Add some spicy smokey Andouille sausage to the mix and you’ve got a winner on your table!  Laissez le bon temps rouler! Bon appétit y’all!  

Cajun Bean Soup
Serves 8 

INGREDIENTS 

• Water - for soaking beans

• Pinch of baking soda + 1 teaspoon of salt

• 1 ½ pounds of 7 bean mix (or use 15 bean mix if you can find it; discard the seasoning packet)

• 1 large onion - chopped

• 1 large green bell pepper - chopped

• 2 stalks of celery - chopped

• 6 cloves garlic - finely chopped

• 8 cups chicken broth

• 2 bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning (this gives you a mild-to-medium spicy heat: add more spice if you want more heat)

• 1 can (15-ounce) diced fire-roasted tomatoes - undrained

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• ¾ - 1 pound Andouille sausage - sliced

• 1 ham bone with ham on it or a ham-hock or 8 ounces of diced leftover ham

• 4 slices of bacon - cooked crisp and crumbled

• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

• Hot sauce to taste (use your favorite hot sauce)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper - to taste 

PREPARATION 

1. Approximately 1 hour before starting the slow cooker, bring a large saucepan with water to a boil. You want enough water in the pan so the beans will be covered by at least an inch of water. Rinse the beans and check for stones. Add the beans, a pinch of baking soda, and 1 teaspoon of salt to the boiling water; turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain.

2. While the beans are soaking, in a large, heavy-bottom skillet, sauté the bacon until crispy and set aside on a paper towel. Brown the sausage and set it aside with the bacon.

3. In the same pan, sauté the onion, green bell pepper, celery, and garlic until barely tender scraping up any caramelized brown bits on the bottom of the pan.

4. Combine the beans, onion, green bell pepper, celery, garlic, chicken broth, bay leaves, and ham bone in a slow cooker. Cook 4 hours on high or 7-8 hours on low.

5. When the beans have approximately 1 hour to go on high or 2 hours to go on low, remove the ham bone and set it aside to cool so you can remove any ham left on the bone. You want about a cup of ham, so add diced ham to make a cup if necessary. Discard the bone.

6. Add the Cajun seasoning, tomatoes, tomato paste, sliced sausage, ham, and bacon to the slow cooker. Mix well, cover, and complete the slow cooker cycle.

7. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Adjust the salt and black pepper to taste and serve garnished with chopped parsley and hot sauce on the side. A good crusty bread for dipping is mandatory! 

Leftover soup can be kept covered in the fridge for about five days, or frozen for about three months.

Wine pairing: full-bodied off-dry white wines like Riesling, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, or Chenin blank pair well with this soup. You could also try a Pilsner or Lager beer, or a Porter or Brown Ale. Avoid overly hoppy beers.

Adapted from: https://www.fromachefskitchen.com/slow-cooker-cajun-15-bean-soup

Lobster Bisque →

For most of us, cooking lobster is an expensive splurge for a special occasion, so it makes sense to maximize the use of as much of the spiny crustacean as possible. Given the current price of lobsters, it’s hard to believe that they were once considered “cockroaches of the sea” and used as fertilizer on gardens and a cheap source of protein for poor folks, prisoners, and slaves. The first mention of bisque as a shellfish soup dates back to the 17th century. Bisque was not initially a fancy soup but contained finely crushed shells of whatever seafood was used, leading food historians to suggest that it was a fisherman’s dish, designed to get the most flavor out of ingredients at hand. It wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that lobster became regarded as the culinary delicacy that it is today. So enjoy your lobster rolls, Lobster Thermador, Lobster Pie, Lobster Risotto, or Homard Parfumé à L'absinthe, but at $10.-$15. (or more) a pound for live lobster, don’t throw away the carcasses! You can maximize your investment and double your pleasure by making delicious lobster bisque. This has been my go-to recipe for lobster bisque for many years. If two rich meals of lobster in a row are too much for you, the stock from this recipe can be frozen for future use before adding the cream. Bon appétit!

Lobster Bisque
about 6- ½ cup servings

Ingredients:

• 2 1-pound live lobsters
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (or 1 tablespoon each of olive oil and butter)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 large celery stalk, sliced
• 1 small carrot, sliced
• ½ fennel bulb with fronds
• ½ cup brandy
• ½ cup dry Sherry
• 4 cups fish stock or bottled clam juice
• 1 garlic head, cut in half crosswise
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• ¼ cup tomato paste
• ½ cup heavy cream (you can substitute half-and-half cream but it won’t be as creamy)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon water

Preparation:

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add the lobsters headfirst and boil until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the lobsters to a large bowl. Reserve 2 cups of cooking liquid. Cool the lobsters.

2. Working over a large bowl to catch juices, tear off the lobster tails and claws. Crack the tail and claw shells and remove the meat and set aside in the fridge for another meal or to add to the bisque. Coarsely chop the shells and bodies; transfer to a medium bowl. Reserve the juices from the lobster in a large bowl.

3. Heat olive oil in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add the lobster shells and bodies and sauté until the shells begin to brown. Add the onion and the next 8 ingredients. Mix in the brandy and Sherry. Boil until almost all liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Add the fish stock, and reserved 2 cups of lobster cooking liquid and lobster juices, fresh herbs, and peppercorns, and simmer for 1 hour.

4. Strain the soup through a sieve set over a large saucepan, pressing firmly on solids to extract the juices. Whisk the tomato paste into the soup. Simmer until the soup is reduced to 3 cups, about 15 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

5. Add cream to the soup and simmer for 5 minutes. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon of water. Add to the soup and boil until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

6. Optional: mix the chopped lobster meat into the soup and stir to heat through. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with good crusty bread for dipping.

Source: 1997- https://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/lobster-bisque-4092

Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Bean Soup) →

This dish came to me from my grandmother and falls into the category of “cucina povre” which literally means “poor kitchen” in Italian. It was a staple in the poor immigrant Italian community my grandmother lived in for much of her life. Simple, flavorful, and nourishing, it epitomizes “country” or “peasant” food. True to its humble origins, it is very adaptable to what you have on hand in your fridge or pantry. If you omit the pancetta, sausage, and parmesan, and substitute vegetable broth, it becomes vegetarian friendly. You can also throw in some chopped kale or spinach. Start by wilting the sofrito of onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Add the tomatoes, beans, rosemary, and chicken (or vegetable) broth and bring to a boil. Add the ditalini or other small pasta shape and cook until “al dente” tender and you have a delicious one pot meal in about a half hour. Serve with a crusty bread to sop up the hearty broth.

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

• ½ slice of pancetta

• 1/2 lb. spicy (or sweet) Italian sausage (or a smokey sausage like Portuguese Linguiça)

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

• 2 medium carrots, peeled and finely chopped

• 2 ribs celery, finely chopped

• 2 cups chopped kale or spinach (optional)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 2 15-ounce cans Great Northern Beans (or Cannellini Beans)

• 1 15-ounce. can diced tomatoes

• 1+ 32-ounce box chicken broth

• 1 Bay leaf

• 2-3 sprigs rosemary, leaves finely chopped (2 tsp. dried rosemary)

• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seed (optional, but recommended if you don’t use Italian sausage)

• 1 cup ditalini or small elbow pasta (or other small shape)

• Freshly grated Parmesan, for garnish

• Freshly chopped parsley, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a large, deep pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and cook, breaking up the sausage with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute more.

3. Add the beans (with their liquid), diced tomatoes, chicken broth, Bay leaf and rosemary and any leafy greens you want to add.

4. Bring to a boil, then stir in the ditalini. Reduce heat to medium and cook until pasta is al dente tender, about 8 minutes.

5. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your taste. Serve in bowls garnished with Parmesan and parsley.

**Note: If your cooking a big pot of soup, you might prefer to cook the pasta in the amount of soup for each meal. Reheating the pasta in the soup multiple times results in over-cooked pasta that has absorbed a lot of your broth. Ladle out the number of serving for your meal and bring it to a boil. Add about a ½ cup of dried pasta for two people.

Similar to a recipe at: https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/rachael-ray/pasta-and-beans-pasta-e-fagioli-recipe-1939374

Shrimp and Scallop Chowder →

Makes 4 bowls or 6 small cups
Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon salt pork + 2 teaspoons olive oil (optional)

• 2-3 tablespoons butter

• 1 shallot finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons celery, chopped

• 1/4 cup fresh fennel bulb chopped (fronds reserved for garnish)

• 1-2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning (to taste; optional; available at your local market)

• 2 Russet potatoes peeled and cut in 1/2 inch dice

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 cup bottled clam juice

• 2 cups milk

• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 cup whipping cream

• 8 ounces scallops

• 8 ounces shrimp

• 2 tablespoons sherry wine
  
  Special Equipment: 
  a dutch oven or other heavy bottom pot

Preparation:
1. Heat the olive oil and brown the salt pork (if you don't use the salt pork, skip this step and melt 3 tablespoons of butter)
2. Melt the butter and saute the vegetables with the Old Bay Seasoning.
3. Mix in the flour stirring to make a roux; cook, stirring regularly for 5 minutes over medium to medium-low heat.
4. Add the warmed milk and clam juice to make the broth.
5. Add the diced potatoes and cook over medium heat until almost fork tender (about 10 minutes)
6. Add the freshly ground black pepper, tomato paste, and heavy cream and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to incorporate the cream and tomato paste into the broth.
7. Add the sherry, scallops, and shrimp and simmer (don't boil) over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes.
8. Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped fennel fronds.

Serve as a main course in bowls with a crusty bread and salad, or as a first-course starter in cups.
For wine, opt for a balanced, not too minerally white wine. A softer Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley, or a crisp French Burgundy or not too buttery Chardonnay from California will pair well with this rich, creamy seafood dish.

Beef Stew →

This hearty, rich stew is kind of a cross between a traditional Beef Stew and a Boeuf Bourguignon. The best of both worlds. Serve with plenty of good crusty bread to sop up the delicious sauce. The flavor improves the next day.

Ingredients:
Serves 6-8

For the braised beef:

• 5 pounds boneless beef chuck (not lean), cut into 2-inch pieces

• 3 ounces pancetta, or slab bacon

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 carrots, quartered

• 3 celery ribs, quartered

• 2 medium onions, quartered

• 10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed

• 3 tablespoons tomato paste

• 1 (750-ml) bottle of dry red wine (about 3 3/4 cups)

• 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California

• 2 thyme sprigs (or 1 teaspoon of dried thyme)

• 12 juniper berries (optional)

• 3 cups reduced-sodium beef broth

For the vegetables:

• 2 1/2 pounds small white boiling potatoes (or Russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes)

• 1 1/2 pounds of carrots peeled and cut diagonally into 1-inch slices.

• 1 cup of frozen peas (optional)

• parsley for garnish (optional)

Preparation:

Braise the beef: 
Preheat oven to 325°F with a rack in middle.

1. Pat the beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Brown the pancetta in an oven-proof heavy pot like a dutch oven; remove the browned pancetta and set aside. Leave any of the flavorful fat that accumulated in the pot

3. If needed add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pot and heat over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers.

4. Add the meat to the pot and brown the meat, in 3 batches, turning to brown on both sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the meat to a platter and tent.

5. Reduce the heat to medium, then add carrots, celery, onions, and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned and caramelized for about 12 minutes.

6. Push the vegetables to one side of the pot. Add tomato paste to the cleared area and cook the paste, stirring for 2 minutes, then stir into vegetables

7. Stir in the wine scraping up the brown crusty fond on the bottom of the pot. Add the bouquet garni (see note) of bay leaves, juniper berries, and thyme, and boil until the wine is reduced by about two-thirds, 10 to 12 minutes.

8. Add the broth to the pot along with the beef and any juices from the platter and bring to a simmer. Add more water if needed so the meat is covered with liquid. Cover and braise in the oven until the meat is very tender, about 2-2 1/2 hours.

9. While the beef braises, peel potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes; slice carrots diagonally into 1-inch pieces.

10. After 2-2 1/2 hours, remove the pot from the oven. The meat should be very tender. Set a colander in a large bowl and strain the stew into the bowl. Return the pieces of meat to the pot along with the liquid, remove the bouquet garni, and add the remaining vegetables to a food processor or blender. Add some additional liquid if necessary in order to puree and liquify the vegetables.

11. Puree the vegetables and return the puree to the liquids and meat in the pot. (This will add richness and thicken the stew.) Let the cooking liquid stand for 10 minutes. If the stew is too thick, you can add additional water to bring the consistency of the stew to your preference.

12. Add the potatoes and carrots to the stew (make sure they are submerged) and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and carrots are fork tender, about 30 minutes. (Optional: add frozen peas for the last five minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving.)

13. Serve with crusty bread.

BEEF STEW in Tea Dust Glaze Porcelaine Bowl by Guy Matsuda @plainfieldpottery

*Note: a bouquet garni is a tied pouch of cheesecloth filled with fresh or dried aromatic herbs often used when braising to infuse flavor into a sauce or stew; to be removed before finishing the stew.

** Note: the stew improves in flavor if made a day ahead. Allow to cool, cover, and chill for up to 5 days. Reheat, covered, over medium heat or in a 350°F oven.

Wine pairing: A full-bodied red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Rioja, Bordeaux, Haut Medoc, Barolo, Barbaresco, or Super-Tuscan complements this rich stew.