Manhattan Clam Chowder

Serve with parmesan butter toasts (see below) on the side

Garnish with fresh parsley

 

4 lb clams (frozen, not fresh this time), chopped (about 5 quarts)

4 lb bacon

8 medium onions, chopped

8 quarts canned tomatoes

8 cup celery, diced

8 cup carrots, diced

3 cups fresh Italian parsley, chopped 

2 TB tsp dried thyme

8 bay leaf

24 potatoes, diced into ½” dice or a little smaller

15 quarts chicken stock 

3 quarts clam stock 

 

Fry bacon, crumble and reserve.  

 

Saute onions in rendered bacon fat.   Add tomatoes to onions and simmer/sauté until tomatoes break down—make sure to squish them so you don’t have whole chunks.  Add celery, carrots, parsley, thyme and bay leaf.  Add chicken and clam stock.   

 

Simmer covered for one to two hours, then add bacon and potatoes and simmer until tender.  Add chopped clams, adjust seasoning (potatoes will suck out salt, remember). Let cook through. 

 

Parmesan Butter Toasts

 

Slice baguette into medallions and spread with soft butter.   Pulse parmesan in the Robot Coupe so its powdered.   It needs to be powdered rather than just grated—for some reason this makes it taste different. 

 

Sprinkle powdered parmesan on the buttered toasts and crisp in the oven until golden brown and cheese is melted.  These are addictive and amazing.  Growing up, we had to hide them from my Dad, who would eat all of them before dinner.