Best Spicy Southwestern Clam Chowder Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Drain baby and chopped clams. Reserve liquid in the refrigerator until needed and set clams aside.
• Place bacon in a soup pot over medium-high heat; cook and stir until well-browned and almost crispy, 7 to 10 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and a pinch of salt; cook and stir until onions start to soften and turn translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add tomato paste; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Don't worry if some of the tomato paste sticks to the bottom of the pot; we want that to happen. Sprinkle in flour; cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes.
• Dump in reserved clam juice plus bottled clam juice and chicken broth. Stir with a spatula, scraping the bottom of the pot to deglaze any caramelization.
• Add carrots, celery, clams, diced tomatoes, pepper, and cayenne; stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, skimming off some bacon fat if desired.
• Add diced potatoes and cook until tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust for salt, if needed. Stir in fresh tarragon and parsley just before serving.

ZESTY MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Combine Italian-style tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, potatoes, onions, carrots, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, celery, and jalapeno peppers in a large stockpot.
• Bring water to a boil in a small saucepan. Stir in chicken bouillon and beef bouillon cubes until dissolved. Pour over tomato mixture in the stockpot.
• Stir clam juice cocktail, sugar, thyme leaves, chili powder, garlic salt, black pepper, and bay leaf into the stockpot. Cook chowder, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Combine clams, milk, and flour in a separate saucepan; cook and stir over low heat until clams are heated through, about 7 minutes. Stir into the stockpot and simmer until flavors combine, about 30 minutes.

SANTA FE CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chorizo; sauté until fat is rendered, about 3 minutes. Add next 6 ingredients; sauté until onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Mix in oregano and cumin, then tomatoes, corn, and bottled clam juice. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until potatoes are almost tender, about 12 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Refrigerate uncovered until cool, then cover and chill. Bring to simmer before continuing.)
• Add clams to mixture in pot; cover and cook over medium-high heat until clams open and potatoes are tender, about 7 minutes (discard any clams that do not open). Mix in 4 tablespoons cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide clams among 6 shallow soup bowls. Ladle chowder over. Sprinkle with remaining cilantro and serve.
• A smoked-pork link sausage flavored with garlic and spices, but milder than Mexican chorizo. Spanish chorizo is available at Spanish markets and specialty foods stores.

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute more. Tie the parsley sprigs, fresh thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot with the potatoes. Pour in the clam juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and clams. Cover and bring to a low simmer. Season with pepper to taste. Divide among warm soup bowls and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.
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SPICY CLAM AND CORN CHOWDER

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the chowder: In a soup pot or a Dutch oven, heat the EVOO over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and cook until the kernels are lightly browned at the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the seafood seasoning, thyme, garlic, celery, bay leaves, chiles and onions, and cook until softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the chicken stock and tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then turn off the heat.
• For the croutons: Arrange the English muffin cubes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Toast in the oven until light golden. Melt the butter with the hot sauce. Place the croutons in a bowl and toss with the parsley, seafood seasoning and the butter mixture. Return to the rack set over the baking sheet and bake until deeply golden. Let cool.
• To finish the chowder: Place the clams and beer in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, and season with sea salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then cook at a rapid simmer until the clams open, 3 to 5 minutes. Discard any unopened clams.
• Divide the clams and the cooking liquid among 4 shallow bowls. Ladle the corn chowder over top and garnish with the croutons. Serve with hot sauce.
• Cook's Notes: You can make the chowder base up to 5 days ahead. Cool and store in the refrigerator, then reheat over a medium flame. Buy the clams within 48 hours of serving and cook them just before you're ready to serve.
• You can store the croutons in an airtight container or in a foil pouch until ready to use.

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.

PRESSURE-COOKER SONORAN CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Select saute setting on a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Adjust for medium heat; add bacon. Cook until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 2 tablespoons in pan. Add butter to drippings in pressure cooker. Cook and stir onion, red pepper and chiles until tender, 7-9 minutes. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Press cancel., Drain clams; pour juice into pressure cooker. Set clams aside. Stir in potatoes and stock. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 4 minutes. Allow pressure to release naturally for 4 minutes; quick-release any remaining pressure. Select sauté setting and adjust for low heat. Add clams, cream, taco seasoning and 1 tablespoon cilantro; simmer, uncovered, until mixture is heated through, 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Press cancel. Serve with bacon and remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro.