Here's another Grandpa recipe for you! In case you hadn't figured it out yet, my grandpa is a pretty cool guy! I loved growing up with delicious food all around! Now, I am really enjoying trying all of his recipes myself. This is a good one, so be prepared to bolt for you kitchen as soon as you're done reading!
Grandpa Dave's Clam Chowder
5-6 small slices of ham, if desired (I didn't use any)
3 med. red potatoes (I used 6 tiny yukon golds)
1 bottle clam juice
2-4 cans clams (I only used 2, but do what you like)
1/2 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp tabasco
1 tsp worcestershire sauce
dash of pepper
1 tsp dried thyme
2 cups half and half
2 Tbsp butter
1 carrot, sliced very thin
1 stalk celery, sliced very thin (I would have used this, but I didn't have any!)
3 large cloves garlic, minced
-Saute vegetables in butter until soft.
-Add potatoes and clam juice
-Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until potatoes are tender. About 15 minutes. Have some wine while you wait!
-Stir in bay leaf, tabasco, pepper, worcestershire, thyme, cream and ham.
-Stir in clams and their juices shortly before serving. Just long enough to heat them through, but not make them tough.
This freezes well!
I decided that it wasn't quite as thick as I like, so at the very end I stirred in a bit of roux. Not really the way it should be done, but it worked! I used about 2 Tbsp flour, and made a paste of it with some olive oil, then brought it all to a boil quickly.
Perfect clam chowder! YUM! Just right for a cool evening. Enjoy!
Question of the day: What is your favorite cool weather comfort food?
