My wife and I went to the annual mussel festival on Whidbey Island last weekend. One of the highlights of the festival is a restaurant competition to make the best mussel chowder. We tried 12 different restaurants; some were good and others were surprisingly bad. I never would have served some of the stuff that these restaurants put out.
But we came home and were hungry for a good clam chowder. So I made a batch, and just in case there is any interest in a classic thick Puget Sound style clam chowder, I thought I would post my recipe.
Four 6.5 ounce cans of chopped clams (I prefer Snow's)
1 bottle clam juice (I prefer Snow's)
1/2 pound chopped bacon
1 cup chopped onion
2 cups chopped potatoes (I prefer russet)
3/4 cup butter
3/4 flour
2 cups whole milk warmed
2 cups half and half
2 tsp or several grindings lemon pepper (I prefer Trader Joe's in the grinder)
In a large stockpot, render the bacon over low-medium heat until crispy. Remove the bacon, reserve the bacon and drain off the bacon grease, but do not clean out the bacon cracklings.
Drain canned clams (hold the clams in the can) into stockpot and add clam juice. Add the onions and potatoes and add sufficient water to barely cover. Simmer about 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are barely tender. Remove the vegetables and stock and reserve.
Melt the butter, sprinkle the flour over the melted butter and cook over low heat until you have a smooth blond roux. Add the warmed milk while whisking vigorously. Whisk until the roux and milk are smooth. Add the half and half and simmer over medium heat for five minutes, whisking all the while, until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Add the canned clams, bacon, vegetables and lemon pepper to the dairy mixture, stir and simmer for about 30 minutes uncovered over low heat. Adjust seasoning and add additional half and half or clam juice if the chowder is too thin.
Serve with some crusty sourdough bread and enjoy.
PS: Modifications: You can use all half and half if your coronary arteries can stand it. This is really outstanding if made with fresh clams that you dug yourself that morning on the beach, if the legal limits will permit it. When I have done this, I start with about five or six pounds of clams in the shell. By the time you get done shucking and prepping, you end up with about 1.25-1.5 pounds of clam meat, depending on the type and size of the clams. I have also made this with fresh mussels.
