Cream Of Quahog Soup Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Scrub clams, and place in a kettle with 1 1/2 cups water; cover and steam five minutes or until all are opened.
• Allow to cool.
• Remove from shells and drain, saving the liquor.
• Mince clams, place in a double boiler with clam juice and onion; set over direct heat until boiling point is reached.
• Place over boiling water; add milk, salt, pepper and sugar and heat to scalding.
• Blend butter or bacon fat with the flour, add to hot soup and cook for about five minutes, stirring almost constantly at first to make a smooth mixture.
• Strain to remove onion and clams.
• Add cream and heat thoroughly.
• Pour hot soup over a small round of toast in each soup cup.

Steps:

• Dice bacon and saute in large pot until translucent. Add onions, leeks and celery and saute for 5 minutes. Pour in 1 1/2 cups of juice and add potatoes and seasonings. Simmer until potatoes are tender about 10 minutes.
• Melt butter in small saucepan. When it bubbles, add flour and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. This is called a roux. Roughly chop quahogs, reserving any liquid, add to pot and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir in roux and continue simmering another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
• In a separate pan, scald the cream by heating it until small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Do not boil. Stir cream into soup pot, mix together and remove from heat. Serve with a dollop of butter, oyster crackers and crusty bread.