Black Dog Quahog Chowder

 Quahog chowder is one of the most popular foods in New England!  If you want to make good chowder, you need to start with great clams.  If you are feeling ambitious, grab a clam rake and shellfish license and try digging for your own!  There is nothing better.

Serves 8-10   2 ounces of salt pork, rind removed (substitute thick cut bacon if you can't find salt pork) 2 cups diced onion 1 cup diced celery 2 cups diced potatoes 1 teaspoon dried thyme 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 4 cups shelled quahogs with juice (about 6 lbs. in shell) 1/2 cup salted butter 1/2 cup all purpose flour 1 1/2 quarts light cream

 

DIRECTIONS

1.  Diced the salt pork and saute in a large pot until translucent

2.  Add the onions and celery and saute for 5 minutes

3.  Pour in about 1 1/2 cups of the juice from the clams and add the potatoes and seasonings

4.  Simmer this mixture until the potatoes are tender.  This should take about 10 minutes..

5.  Melt the butter in a small saucepan.  When it is bubbling, add the flour and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring often.  This mixture is called a roux, pronounced "rue."

6.  Roughly chop the quahogs reserving any liquid.

7.  When the poatoes are tender, add the quahogs to the large pot and simmer for 2 minutes.

8.  Stir in the roux and continue simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  This is your chowder base.

9.  In a separate saucepan, scald the cream by heating it until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan.  Do not boil.

10.  Stir the hot scalded cream into the chowder base, mix together, and remove from heat.

11.  At The Black Dog, we serve it topped with a dollop of butter and crisp croutons.  Enjoy!