Conference turris::cooks

What I always do when I want to make something think is to make a "roux".
With this, you can thicken anything (I always use for gravies, chowder,
sauces -- anything that needs thickening) and it will NEVER be pasty or
floury.

A roux is simply flour and butter (or margarine) blended together:

In case you've never made one:

In a small saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of butter.  To this, add 3 table-
spoons of flour, and mix until absorbed.  You can continue adding flour
until the butter simply won't absorb any more.  At this point in time, it
is a thick lump.  (If you want a dark gravy, keep cooking until it browns --
that way it will be dark.).  To the roux, add whatever liquid you intend to
use -- drippings for gravy, or milk for chowder.

As far as chowder is concerned, I don't have a "recipe" (y'know, a little of
this, a little of that).  I always use potatoes and onions, and then whatever
else I happen to have around.  The CRUCIAL part, is not to add the milk until y
(oops!)are almost finished, otherwise the milk will curdle.  It also helps to
cook it for a fair amount of time, and not to hurry through it.

Good luck!

-  Donna

Here is a recipe I use for New England Clam Chowder

Chop 2 clices bacon coarsely and saute until almost crisp
Add 1 cup funely chopped onions and cook about 5 min on low heat
Add 2 cups cubed potatoes, 1 tsp salt, dash pepper and 1 cup water.
Cook uncovered for 15 minutes or until potatoe is fork tender.

Drain clams, saving clam liquid and chop coarsely.  Or you can use a
can of minced clams (2 cans actually)

Add clams, 1/2 cup clam liquid, 2 cups half and half, and 2 tbs butter
or margerine.  Mix well, heat about 3 minutes but do not boil.

Get ready to eat some great clam chowder - the kind you get along the
coastal reastaurants.

Rick

    Does anyone have a good recipe for New England Clam Chowder (you
    know, the kind you can stand a spoon up in)?  I often order it
    at restaurants, but haven't been able to get it as rich & creamy
    in my own kitchen.
    
    Any responses would be appreciated!
    

    All the real thick chowders I've sampled in local (Boston area)
    restaurants seem to have been thickened with cornstarch.
    
    If you have a recipe you are already using and like, try adding
    cornstarch disolved in a bit of water until you reach the desired
    consistency.  
    
    Evelyn

    I have a delicious scallop chowder recipe that is thickened with
    chopped-up scallops (I'm allergic to corn and potatoes, anyhow).
    It starts with a think white sauce as a base.  You could always
    use such a sauce in place of cream or milk in your chowder to make
    it thicker.

  > I have a delicious scallop chowder recipe that is thickened with
  > chopped-up scallops (I'm allergic to corn and potatoes, anyhow).
  > It starts with a think white sauce as a base.  You could always
  > use such a sauce in place of cream or milk in your chowder to make
  > it thicker.
    
    Could you post your recipe here.  My daugher is allergic to corn
    (really gets hyper!) It sounds wonderful to thicken something with
    the main ingredient.  This topic may just become 'Chowders'.

    Here it is:
    
    1 lb scallops
    3 T flour
    1/4 c melted butter
    1 pt light cream
    1 T minced onion, sauteed in a little butter
    (1/2 t salt)
    1/8 t pepper
    3/4 T sherry (optional)
    2 slices crisp bacon (for garnish)
    
    Cook the scallops in a small amount of water for about five minutes.
    Reserve the water.
    Chop or grind the scallops (we usually leave some chunks and finely
    chop the rest).
    Make a cream sauce by blending the flour with 3T butter and then
    adding the cream and the water the scallops cooked in.
    Whn slightly thickened, add the scallops.
    Add the minced onion which has been sauteed in butter.
    Season with (salt and) pepper.
    Add sherry if you want (we hardly ever do).
    Garnish with crumbled bacon.
    

    I let the potatoes thicken the chowder.  Usually, I saute the onions
    in bacon fat or oil, add clam broth, potatoes, sometimes celery
    and black pepper.  This cooks until the potatoes are soft and have
    thickened the mixture.  At this point, the clams are added.  Just
    before serving, cream or milk or evaporated milk are mixed in until
    the desired thickness is reached along with a pat of butter and
    heated until warm.
    
    This produces a nice thick chowder without a funny consistency.
    
    Lynne

    If youre looking to make some of that famous "New England Style"
    clam chowder, leave the corn starch on the shelf....thats good for
    thickening gravies, but not soup stock....evaporated milk, as someone
    pointed out, will do...otherwise, its a mixture of milk and cream....
    more cream than milk if you want it thick.....simmering it will
    also make it thicker....have fun
    Rick
    

    I'VE ALWAYS BEEN COMPLIMENTED ON MY CHOWDER THOUGH I DON'T USE A
    RECIPE. THERE ARE TWO THINGS TO SHOOT FOR IN MAKING CHOWDER,
    CONSISTANCY AND RICH FLAVOR.
    
    I ALWAYS START WITH A ROUX (FLOUR AND BUTTER)ABOUT TWO TBS OF EACH
    COMBINE OVER HEAT BUT DON'T BURN. ADD HEATED MILK A CUP AT A TIME.
    TIL
    TIL YOU HAVE THE CONSISTANCY YOU WANT. ADD COOKED POTATOES AND
    FISH OR CLAMS OR WHAT EVER. AT THIS POINT ADD A CLOVE OF CRUSHED
    AND FINE CHOPPED GARLIC. SEASON TO TASTE.
    I LEARNED THIS METHOD AT THE CULINARY INST OF AMERICA AND HAVE USED
    IT IN MY OWN RESTAURANT WITH GREAT SUCCESS. THE GARLIC TENDS TO
    GIVE IT A RICH CREAMY FLAVOR. YOU CAN ADD WHAT EVER YOU LIKE TO
    GIVE IT A UNIQUE TASTE THAT YOU ENJOY ONIONS,FLOAT BUTTER ON TOP
    OR WHATEVER. ENJOY

    I thicken chowders with potatos too.  But I first cook potatoes
    til very done and then puree them in a blender or food processor.
    I still dice some raw potato and add them when I put the chopped clams
    in.  Otherwise, it's the same recipe as 493.5.
    

    I've always used Fannie Farmer's recipe.  The clam chowder recipe
    tends to be on the thin side, so I combine/improvise a bit.  Actually,
    I got some pointers from the FISH chowder recipe a few pages back.
    My friends in the Midwest RAVE about my chowder (folks at home,
    too)... The "real" secret?  The CLAMS, not the use of cream or milk!
    I wouldn't even consider making a chowder without our own world- famous
    little neck Ipswich or Essex clams.  They just don't get any sweeter!

    A little trivia that this note sparked in my memory:
    
    Did you know that it is actually illegal in Massachusetts to put
    tomatoes in your clam chowder....somehow, I doubt you'll be 
    prosecuted though......
    
    This is one of those old old laws that have long since been
    forgotten

         Can clam chowder be frozen?
    
         My husband and I dug quite a bit of quahogs this weekend, and I'd
    like to make a *big* batch of clam chowder but since I'm the only one
    who eats it, and even *I* can't eat *that* much ...
    
         Also, how long can clam chowder be kept in the fridge??
    
         Thanks!
    
    					- Andrea
    
    P.S.  I use clams, water-that-clams-cooked-in, potato, onion, s&p,
    milk.

What I do with corn chowdah is make a "base" (all ingredients except milk) and
then add milk as I use it.  (you can freeze the base)

    I've frozen clam chowder....BUT...
    
    Leave out the 'taters....they mush up when you thaw it and it
    just makes it real real thick.  
    
    I boil the 'taters just after I thaw it and mix in.  Can't
    even tell the difference.
    
    Kristen

         So it's okay to freeze something that contains milk and not have
    it thaw out and come out ... globby??
    
    					- Andrea

    I personally would freeze the clams then when I wanted clam chowder
    just throw them in the pot when I'm cooking the chowder.  This takes up
    a lot less space in the freezer and really doesn't take any longer to
    make when needed.
    
    Stuart

    My favorite chowders when visiting Northeastern US are those served
    at the Black Pearl in Newport RI and Legal Seafood in the Boston
    area.
    
    I've tried to figure out each at home, with no success.  By any chance,
    does anyone have the actual recipes?  This will save letters to 
    Bon Appetit.
    
    Thanks in advance to anyone who can help!