Manhattan Clam Chowder
2015-09-26 12:19:36
Traditional Manhattan style Clam Chowder (red sauce)
Ingredients
- 4 bacon slices, cut into 1/2" pieces.
- 1 Onion, chopped
- 1 Green Bell Pepper, chopped
- 4 Celery Stalks, chopped
- 2 Carrots, sliced.
- 3 small to medium Red Potatoes, cut into 1/2" squares (optional)
- 2 bottles Clam Juice
- 2 Cans Whole Peeled Tomatoes (squished with clean hands)
- 1 dozen fresh Quahog Clams, steamed, removed from shell, cleaned, and chopped. (optional)
- 1 16 oz. can chopped clams (double if not using fresh clams)
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Oregano
- 2 Bay leaves
- Red Chile Flakes
- Fresh Ground Black Pepper
- Sea Salt
Instructions
- In a large pot, sauté the bacon until golden.
- Add onion, garlic, celery, and carrots and cook until softened.
- Add Potato, clam juice, herbs and spices, and tomatoes.
- Simmer for about 10 minutes or until Potato is tender with a fork.
- Add clams and cook until open (discard any unopened clams after 10-15 minutes).
- Remove clams from pot and remove from shells (you can keep some in shells for garnish if you would like).
- Add clams back in.
- Discard Shells.
- Remove Bay leaves.
- Add a little bit more fresh herbs for aroma at end
- Salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve hot.
Notes
- If you do not want to use potatoes, you can use any vegetable, although root vegetables tend to work best. Adjust timing so that you don't overcook it.
- You do not have to have a vegetable in the soup if you don't want. Just add more clams.
- You can use all canned clams, all fresh clams, whatever kind of clams you want, or a mixture. Quahog clams have the best flavor for this, I think. Next best would be Littleneck Clams.
- You can use fresh tomatoes if you have the time to cook them down.
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