SPICED MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Spiced Manhattan Clam Chowder image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Categories dinner, lunch, soups and stews, appetizer

Time 1h10m

Yield Four servings

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

4 ripe tomatoes, peeled, cored, seeded and diced
1/4 cup grated lemon rind
1/4 cup minced mint leaves
32 littleneck clams, scrubbed
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 cup dry white wine
2 cups water
2 slices smoked bacon, chopped
1 white onion, minced
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 cups fresh or canned plum tomatoes, with juice
1 1/8-inch cinnamon stick
3 boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Steps:

Combine the tomatoes, lemon rind and mint. Set aside. Combine the clams, garlic, wine and water in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, lower the heat and simmer until the clams open, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Strain, reserve the broth and set the clams aside.
Fry the bacon in a large saucepan until golden, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and half the orange zest. Continue cooking until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, their juice and the cinnamon stick. Simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the cinnamon and discard. Pour the tomato broth into a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a clean saucepan. Add the clam broth and potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 5 to 8 minutes.
Take the clams out of their shells. Add the saffron and the remaining orange zest to the chowder and simmer for one minute. Add the clam meat. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Ladle into 4 bowls. Garnish with the tomato-lemon-mint mixture.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 400, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 50 grams, Fat 8 grams, Fiber 9 grams, Protein 25 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1739 milligrams, Sugar 10 grams, TransFat 0 grams