CAPE COD CLAM CHOWDAH

CAPE COD CLAM CHOWDAH image

Yield 8-10 people

Number Of Ingredients 12

2 cups water
2 dozen cherrystone, littleneck, or small quahog clams, scrubbed (2 cups clam meat)
1 ounce (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 slices bacon, chopped
1 small white onion, chopped
1 1/2 celery stalks, tough fibers removed, cut diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces
2 stems fresh thyme
1 fresh bay leaf
9 whole black peppercorns
2 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
Coarse salt

Steps:

Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Add clams, cover, and cook until shells open, about 10 minutes. Transfer clams to a large bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Discard any clams that do not open. Remove meat from shells, and return to bowl. Discard shells. Pour reserved liquid through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth into a large bowl (you should have 2 1/2 cups). Sprinkle a few tablespoons liquid over clams to keep them moist. Melt butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add bacon, and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Pour off excess drippings, leaving just enough to coat bottom of pot. Add onion and celery, and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Wrap thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth, and tie with kitchen string. Place cheesecloth in pot, and add potatoes and 2 1/2 cups reserved clam broth. Simmer over medium heat until potatoes are tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Chop clams. Add clams and half-and-half to pot, and heat until just warmed through, about 1 minute. Discard cheesecloth, and season with salt. Serve immediately.