Serves 4-6 as a main
When the long winter ends and the snow finally melts away, Islanders head to the beaches for the annual clam digging. Armed with shovels and buckets, they spend hours digging up these delicious little shellfish. My favorite part of the season is not the digging for clams, but rather the clam chowder I can then make with them. Versions of PEI clam chowder are similar to New England versions, with the most noticeable difference being the addition of carrots. Clams are not available in regular supermarkets in the Netherlands, but you can find them at various online fish retailers or at wholesalers. If you can’t find clams, mussels are an acceptable substitute (see footnote).
Ingredients
- 750g clams in juice
- 2 Tbsp butter
- 250g uncooked bacon pieces
- 1 small red onion, diced fine
- 2 stalks celery, diced fine
- 1 large carrot, shredded
- 3 garlic clove, peeled and minced
- 1/3 cup flour
- 3 cup vegetable broth
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ tsp oregano
- ½ tsp parsley
- 1/8 tsp paprika
- 500g potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ cm cubes
- 2 cup thickened cream
Directions
- Strain clams, saving liquid. Set both aside.
- Melt butter in a large soup pan over medium-high heat. Add bacon and onion and fry until onion is soft. Add celery, carrots and garlic and continue cooking until soft. Add all the flour and stir to coat.
- Slowly add broth, clam juice, bay leaf, spices and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer 10 minutes. Add potatoes and continue simmering for 15 minutes until potatoes are soft.
- Stir in cream and clams and simmer 5 minutes to heat through. Serve with crusty bread and a side salad for a complete meal.
- Clam Chowder can be made in advance and stored up to 3 days in the refrigerator or 3 months in the freezer. Thaw and reheat on the stove top for the best flavor. I don’t recommend reheating in the microwave.
- If using mussels, use 380g jarred or canned mussels, drained and rinsed. Add 370ml water with the broth.
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