Back to where it all began – chowder style.

Who would have thought that a clam chowder could have such an effect on my life?

The Nicest Clam Chowder, Essex Girl Style

Way back, before I made a wild decision to cook myself into oblivion, I was at dinner at Ash’s and she cooked clam chowder. I’d never made chowder before, but had eaten it out (a very memorable experience in Bicheno, Tasmania comes to mind before a night spent with fairy penguins) and after watching Ash make the chowder and then after I headed back for seconds of Ash’s chowder, I asked Ash where the recipe was from and wouldn’t you know it was from COOK with Jamie. It was on this night, after flipping through the book, that I decided COOK with Jamie would be the book I’d use for my experiment. And the rest, as they say, is history.

So you can imagine that I had been saving the chowder for a special occasion and what a special occasion it was too. A Monday night in, with Deb for dinner and couch time for Brothers & Sisters. Trust me, after the weekend I had, this scenario does actually constitute a special occasion.

With our clams pre-ordered – a moment of foresighted brilliance over the weekend – and picked up, Deb and I headed home. In a large pot, I gently pan-fried finely chopped bacon, onion, garlic, celery and potato cubes with a bay leaf and some olive oil. Once softened, but not browned, I added fresh corn kernels, chicken stock and thyme leaves and left to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, I heated up an empty saucepan, threw in the clams and a splash of water, put the lid on let things work their magic. The clams opened up pretty quickly, then I added the clam water and the clams removed from their shells into the veggie mix, with finely chopped parsley and chilli and a squeeze of lemon juice.

The last step was taking half the mixture from the pot and whizzing it through the blender then adding it back to the soup mixture with a spoonful of mascarpone, to create a creamy chowder. But still with some lumps and bumps. The best of both worlds.

Xx

PS – Made a quick salad for dinner tonight with Japanese Dressing – soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, mustard powder, sesame oil and S&P.