Best Miso Clam Chowder Recipes

CONTEST-WINNING NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute celery and onion in the drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes., In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes., Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). Crumble the cooked bacon; sprinkle over each serving.

MISO FISH CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Add bacon and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add butter, leek and celery to the pot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add miso and cook, stirring and mashing with a spoon, until well incorporated and caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Add clam juice, potatoes, thyme sprig and 2 cups of water, and bring to a boil over high, stirring to lift up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• Stir in cream and half of the scallions, and bring to a gentle simmer. Season fish with salt and add to pot. Gently poach until it is just cooked through and flaky, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and discard thyme sprig.
• Divide chowder in bowls and garnish with the crispy bacon and remaining scallions. Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers.

THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set aside as well.
• Rinse out the pot, and return it to the stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium-low. Add bacon or salt pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pork has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove pork from fat, and set aside.
• Add the leeks to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes and wine, and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and the potatoes have just started to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add enough clam broth to just cover the potatoes, approximately 3 cups, reserving the rest for another use. Add the thyme and the bay leaf.
• Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the clams into bits about the size of the bacon dice.
• When potatoes are tender, add cream and stir in chopped clams and reserved bacon. Add black pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer, and remove from heat. (Do not let chowder come to a full boil.) Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.
• The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it to a bare simmer before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.