COASTAL QUISINE STEEPED IN HISTORY

THE CHOWDER RECIPES

 

Fish chowder (mentioned in the excerpt above) and clam chowder (mentioned elsewhere in WEB OF LEGACIES) are coastal mainstays with endless variations and stalwart devotees happy to debate the virtues of their favorite. Seafood chowders (aka, “stews”) date back to the region’s Native Americans, such as the Wampanoags. The foolish Pilgrims apparently had little use for shellfish and fed clams and mussels to their hogs! However, by the 1850s, clam chowder was a popular coastal staple. (See “History of Chowder,” from What’s Cooking America.)

 

The two recipes below are family favorites. The seafood stew comes from a childhood BFF who married my cousin. (Karma! Now she has the same last name she used to tease me about when we were kids.) It’s delicious, hearty, and easy to make. Perfect for holiday gatherings. The clam chowder recipe is a brothy version, which we make and freeze by the gallons to enjoy all winter. It makes 14 quarts and takes two people about three hours. It’s quite an undertaking, but with good music and wine, it’s a great rainy-day project, which my niece and I often tackle as the weather turns in the fall. Of course, we think our chowder recipe is the best! Truth be told, we never follow it exactly, so each batch is a little different, but always yummy!

 

Nothing beats a cup of hot clam chowder or seafood stew after a brisk beach walk or sitting by a fire during a nor’easter … or anytime!

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Fish Stew with Fennel & Baby Potatoes

(4 servings - 30 minutes prep time. Easily doubled.)

 

• 1/4 C Olive Oil

• 8 oz small waxy potatoes - such as baby Yukon Gold, scrubbed, sliced 1/4" thick

• 1/2 medium Fennel Bulb, finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• Kosher Salt, fresh ground pepper

• 1/4 C dry white wine

• 1/4 cup Creme Fraiche

• 1 1/2 lb skinless flounder or fluke fillet, cut into 2" pieces - you may use haddock, cod, or salmon

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh Dill

• Lemon wedges (for serving)

 

1. Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat - a Dutch oven works well.

2. Cook potatoes, tossing occasionally, until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.

3. Add fennel and garlic; season with S & P, and cook, stirring occasionally until fennel is soft, about 2 minutes.

4. Add wine, bring to a boil and cook until almost completely evaporated, about 4 minutes.

5. Add 2 cups water to pot and bring to a boil.

6. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender, 10-12 minutes.

7. Stir in creme fraiche.  Add flounder, cover pot, and reduce heat.

8. Simmer until fish is cooked through about 4 minutes.

9. Stir dill into stew, season with salt and pepper.

 

Serve with lemon wedges.

 

French bread & salad are good accompaniments.

 

(Calories 380  Fat 19g Fiber 2g)

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COHASSET CLAM CHOWDER

(About 14 1-Qrt Containers/Two-Person Project, takes about 3 hours)

 

SHOPPING LIST:

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• Clam Base (Enough to make 5 qrts./18 Cs broth

• Frozen Clams, about 5 pints (2 ½ qrts. or 10 Cs) (Both usually can be found at good seafood stores)

• 8-10 Cs chopped Yellow Onion (I 3-lb. bag)

• 8 Cs quartered/chopped Baby Potatoes (about 3 24-oz. bags, medley)

• 8 Cs Celery (about 1 bag)

• 2 large Leeks

• 2-3 large Garlic heads

• 6 fresh Bay Leaves

• 3 Ts fresh Thyme

• 8-10 leaves chopped fresh Sage

• 2 qrts. low-or no-salt Seafood or Veg. Broth or stock

• 1 Package Bacon (8-10 slices)

• 1-2 Cs Frozen Corn (or fresh if you have it)

• 3/4 C Flour, about

• 8 Ts Unsalted Butter (one stick, or more)

• 1 T White Pepper

• 1 T Black Pepper

• 4 ts. Cholula’s Hot Sauce

• 1 qrt. Half & Half

• ½ -1 C dry White Wine (more?)

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Exact measurements of 7 above items to taste

 

Garnish:

• Chopped chives, scallions, or parsley

• Oyster crackers

 

You’ll need two large soup pots, three large bowls, lots of knives and chopping boards.

 

STEP 1 - Clam Broth & Potatoes: In heavy-bottomed/large soup pot (Pot #1):

• Make about 5 quarts of liquid from Clam Base, bring to boil, simmer. (Perhaps more? Can substitute vegetable or seafood broth or stock for water to make clam broth)

 

Meanwhile:

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• Chop about 8 Cs potatoes (quarters), add to clam-broth, bring all to boil again, simmer, cook to tender. After potatoes are tender remove and return to a large bowl.

 

STEP 2 – Bacon (& Veggie Prep): In second heavy-bottomed/large soup pot (Pot #2):

• Cook/chop bacon. (Set aside ½ fat for sautéing clams. Leave rest in pot for sautéing veggies)

 

Meanwhile:

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• Chop onions, leeks, celery, garlic (to taste), fresh herbs (to taste). Mix together in a large bowl.

 

STEP 3 – Veggies: In Pot #2:

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• Melt stick of butter with ½ bacon fat 

• Sauté/cook veggies, cooked/chopped bacon, and herbs. Sift about ¼ C flour into veggies, stir/sauté until somewhat thickened (Don’t brown. Can add clam juice/seafood broth if flour starts sticking). Sauté/cook in 2-3 shifts if needed. When veggies are done, return to large bowl.

 

STEP 4 – Clams:

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• Drain some excess liquid from clams into broth (in Pot #1).

• Cook clams in Pot #2 with all the flavorings/scrapings leftover from sautéing and half bacon fat.

• Bring to a boil, simmer about 10 minutes—sifting/adding ½ C flour to thicken as desired. When done, put cooked clams in a third bowl.

 

STEP 5 – Division: You now have 3 bowls (potatoes, veggies/bacon, clams), an empty Pot #2, and Pot #1 with broth.

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• Divide everything equally between/into the two pots. The volume makes this tricky. Just do your best!

 

STEP 6 – Seasoning/Thickening: Add to desired taste/consistency in both pots.

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• Half-&-Half (Half the amount?)         

• White Wine (1 C?)                 

• Seasoning (Careful w/ pepper)

• Simmer very low for hour or so (Careful not to curdle/separate Half & Half)

 

Serve immediately or cool at room temperature, cover, and refrigerate. It’s even better on the second day. It also freezes well. To Serve: Bring to gentle simmer. Sprinkle with oyster crackers and serve with corn bread or crusty bread with cold butter (for dunking) and a big salad. A warm blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream for desert makes this a quintessential New England coastal meal. Enjoy!