The Other Clam Chowder

Hatteras Style Clam Chowder

Yes, this post is late.  It’s a recurring theme in my life.

Over the summer, my oldest son and I spent a few days camping along the islands of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.  We decided to have a decent dinner one night and went into town.  We found a busy but not too touristy looking seafood place.  Well, the crab cakes were vile and the waiter was a dick.  The best part of the dinner we had was laughing later as we discussed how bad it was.

As part of the meal, I ordered a cup of the clam chowder.  Unlike the more familiar cream-based New England or tomato-based Manhattan varieties, Hatteras chowder is a clear broth with just a few low key ingredients, but the simplicity of the soup really brings out the clam flavor.  I first experienced this soup more than a decade ago at a s had planking that I attended while working on a political campaign just across the state line in southern Virginia.

As with most things seafood, this does not need a long cook time.  Of course fresh clams are best, but canned will do and they are always in season.

Ingredients

8 slices bacon, diced

1 large onion, chopped

5 stalks celery, sliced

4 carrots, sliced

4 cups peeled, cubed white potatoes

3 cups fresh clams diced or 2 (16 ounce) cans minced clams with juice

2 quarts clam juice

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

Cook bacon in a large heavy pot until crispy.   Reduce heat to medium and cook onion, celery and carrots in bacon drippings until they begin to soften. Stir in potatoes, clams, clam juice, thyme and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Taco Tuesday

I know…I know…I’m a slacker!  It’s been weeks since my last post, but since no one has complained I guess both of my regular readers understand.  I’ve been swamped, literally and figuratively.  It’s finally supposed to stop raining today.  I hope I can get my blueberry bushes covered with bird netting before they find the few almost ripe berries on them.

It’s also Tuesday.  That means tacos.  Taco Tuesday has become a tradition in our house that my children will not let go unobserved.  But while they are happy with ground beef and "Mexico from a box," I prefer something a little more authentic and… well…better.  Here is a recipe for roast pork that can be made into tacos or served over rice.  Because the main flavoring comes from garlic, vinegar, and orange juice, the taste is not the usual Tex-Mex cumin-chili powder blah that many people think of as Mexican.  There is also a recipe for pickled red onions to accompany the roast pork.  They are very easy to make and I’m sure once you try them, you will eat them on everything.  You will be amazed how good they are, even more so if you don’t like onions or Mexican food.  (Of course if you don’t like onions or Mexican food, you have no taste buds or are a part of some strange xenophobic cult and probably not reading this blog anyway.)

Making this dish reminds me, I need to go to the Penzey’s store.  I am so grateful to have one in Memphis.  I buy large bags of fresh, good quality spices for less than the little jars of supermarket brand stuff they sweep off the spice house floor.  For my reader in another city without a store, Penzey’s is available online here.  Although Penzey’s has many great spice blends, I usually buy whole spices and make my own blends.  I have a taco seasoning blend that is so much better than the salt pack that comes with the taco shells, but that, and other spice blends, are another post.  You can find recipes for your own taco and other spice blends with a quick Google search.  Most recipes will point you in the right basic direction, then you can adjust according to your taste.  Alton Brown has a good place to start here.  As usual, this recipe began with someone else's and was modified.  Hat tip to Rick Bayless who has written a few very informative books on Mexican food, has a great series of cooking shows on PBS and who has opened up a whole country of exciting and unexpected  yet traditional flavors from our southern neighbors that most of us gringos never knew existed.  Thanks Rick.

Achiote Roast Pork

Special equipment needed:  Spice Grinder (I use a cheap electric coffee grinder)

2 tablespoons achiote seeds (if you can't find achiote seeds, just make the dish without them.  It will still be good, just not as red.)

3 teaspoons whole allspice berries or 2 teaspoons ground allspice.

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican (yes, there is a difference)

1 teaspoon black pepper, preferably whole peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon cloves, preferably whole

1 heaping teaspoon salt

6 large garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1/2 cup sour orange juice

   OR 1/4 cup fresh lime juice plus 1/4 cup orange juice

2 pounds pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into large chunks, about 3-inches on a side.

Grind achiote seeds, allspice berries, and peppercorns into a fine powder in a spice grinder (achiote seeds are hard as rocks and brick red.  If you do not have a spice grinder, it is better to leave them out than break a tooth or have hard gritty tacos). Put ground spices and all remaining ingredients in a zip top bag.  Mush around to mix thoroughly and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

To cook, you have a few options. 

1) The traditional way:  Build a big fire.  Dig a hole.  Wrap the pork tightly in several layers of banana leaves.  Bury the pork bundle in the hole covered with several inches of hot coals.  Dig up eight to ten hours later and enjoy.

2) The easier, more modern way:  Put the pork and marinade in a heavy pot with an oven proof lid (an enameled cast iron pot would be ideal).  Cook in a 350 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours or until the pork is fall apart tender.

3) The easiest, most modern way:  Put the pork and marinade in a crock pot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for eight.  If you marinate the pork the night before, then dump it in the crock pot before going to work, you will have a great dinner waiting for you when you get home with very little effort.  And your house will smell wonderful.

To serve, break up the large chunks of pork and serve over rice or on soft warm tortillas (fresh corn tortillas are best if you have get them, but flour is fine also.)  Top with the pickled red onions from the recipe below.

By the way, this is the dish that inspired Johnny Depp to shoot the cook in the movie “Once upon a Time in Mexico.”  Yep, it’s that good.

Pickled Red Onions

Make these onions when you start the pork marinating.  They need a few hours in the fridge to get right.

1 small red onion, peeled and sliced thin

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns or slightly less ground

1/4 teaspoon whole cumin seeds or slightly less ground

1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup cider vinegar

Blanch onions in boiling salted water for 30 to 45 seconds.  Drain and put into a jar or other small container with a tight fitting lid.  Add all the other ingredients to the jar.  Add just enough water to barely cover the onions.  Put the lid on securely and give a good shake.  Put in the refrigerator for several hours at least.  They will turn bright pink.  They will also keep several weeks in the fridge (if they last that long.)

Moroccan (inspired) Vegetable Stew

The pretty weather makes me want to grow vegetables.  My natural instincts leave the little plants to wither and die in the summer sun.  So, I make this dish and feel a little better.  It is great as a main dish or with some grilled chicken on the side.  Like so many others, this recipe is an adaptation of someone else’s.  You can find the original in The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors, listed in the Recommended Cookbooks section at the left.  Check it out if you haven’t already.  There’s good stuff there…really.

Moroccan 7 Vegetable Tangine

(AKA: Veggie Stew)

Total Time: 1 hour

Serves 8 to 10

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup onion, diced (I usually use red onion for the color, it’s purdy)

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 medium eggplant, unpeeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cups chicken stock or veggie stock

1 cinnamon stick about 3-inches long or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)

1 medium carrots, cut 1/2-inch dice

1 medium parsnips, cut 1/2-inch dice

1 medium zucchinis, cut 1/2-inch dice

1 medium yellow squash, cut 1/2-inch dice

1 red bell pepper, cut 1/2-inch dice

Place the cubed eggplant in a colander, salt generously and let it drain for 20 minutes. While eggplant is draining, dice other vegetables. Rinse the eggplant well and let drain a few more minutes.

Heat a 6- to 8-quart casserole and add the oil. Add the onion, garlic and eggplant. Sauté over low heat until the onion is just tender, about 5 to 10 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, cinnamon sticks, curry powder, cumin, turmeric and black pepper.  (A friend, who really likes this recipe, doesn’t like curry powder.  So for M, leave out the curry powder.)  Stir, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the carrot, parsnip, zucchini, squash, and red pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for at least 15 minutes to let the carrot and parsnip soften.

Salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot in deep soup bowls on top of rice, noodles or couscous.  Don’t eat the cinnamon stick!

Italian Sausage and Kale Soup

The weather in Memphis can change quickly, clear and 80 degrees one day, rainy and 35 degrees the next.  Sometimes you need to a warm hearty soup in a hurry.  Here it is, inspired by the Tuscan soup at Olive Garden (my daughter’s favorite restaurant).  However, you can make this soup at home, eat it, and wash the dishes faster than you can get a table at OG.

Italian Sausage and Kale Soup

Total time:  25 minutes

Serves 6 to 8

1 pound Italian sausage, removed from casings

5 1/2 cups chicken stock

2 or 3 medium potatoes, pealed and diced

1 bunch kale, thoroughly washed and stems removed, ruff chopped

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)

½ cup heavy cream

Brown sausage in a 6 quart heavy pot, breaking up large chunks.  Add all other ingredients, except cream.  Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Continue to simmer until potatoes a kale are soft, about 10 minutes.  Add cream and simmer a few minutes more.  Serve

Would you like to have something sweet?

Some of my favorite things to eat are my mom’s raspberry shortbread cookies.  They are shortbread sandwich cookies filled with raspberry preserves and topped with powdered sugar. The cookies in this recipe are so easy to make that I’m pretty sure they were invented by the Irish. Then the Scots stole the recipe because it was so easy, even they could make it. This is a basic recipe, so don’t be limited by it.  Add chocolate chips or dip them in melted chocolate.  Top with a dollop of your favorite fruit preserves or bake with a small piece of fruit set in the center.  You really can let your imagination run wild.  Google pictures of shortbread cookies for more ideas.  I made a sugar-free version of these cookies (like those pictured) for Valentine’s Day.  That’s another reason I like this recipe: it works just as well with Splenda instead of sugar.

Butter Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/3 cups sugar or Splenda

1 ½ teaspoons regular salt

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of a mixer, combine the butter, sugar (or Splenda), and salt and cream* on medium speed until blended, about 2 minutes. One by one, add the egg yolks, mixing until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and the scrapings of the vanilla bean. Scrape down the bowl.

Turn the mixer off and add the flour. Turn the machine to low and mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Remove the dough from the bowl. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let sit 20 to 30 minutes.  Or working on parchment or wax paper, form the dough into 4 logs 10 inches long and 1 1/4 inches in diameter, wrap, and chill.

While dough is resting, preheat the oven to 325°F.

On a floured surface, roll out dough to ¼ inch thickness and cut to desired shapes and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.  If making rounds topped with sugar or other spice such as cinnamon: Place sugar (works best with raw or turbinado sugar) or spices in a small bowl. Cut the log into rounds. Dip one cut surface of each of the rounds into the sugar and arrange them 2 inches apart on all sides on a parchment-lined or nonstick cookie sheet or sheets.

  

Bake until light golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Don’t over-bake.  Cool the cookies on a wire rack.

*Cream: verb -- to beat ingredients together (usually butter and sugar) to form a creamy consistency.  Mixture should be light and smooth.

No Kitty! That's my pot pie.

I love pot pie.  Chicken pot pie, beef pot pie, pork pot pie, even veggie pot pie.  It’s just hot, chunky, meaty (except the veggie pie) crusty goodness.   It’s a whole meal in one pan.  And they are very democratic.  Forget apple pie, pot pie has way more in common with America than some fruit tart.  Put in what you want; season it the way you want; and top it with whatever you’ve got.  Because of that, pot pie recipes seem a little pretentious.  That being said, there are some proportions to keep in mind that will help prevent pie failure.  A good basic formula for a standard deep dish pie is 6 cups solid filling, 2 cups liquid, and 3Tbl each fat and flour for thickening.  You should always sauté vegetables before assembling the final pie because this will remove excess water and improve their flavor.  The vegetables will cook down when you sauté them so you may start with more than you think will fit.  The following recipe is my chicken pot pie.  As with many of my recipes, this one is my adaptation of someone else’s recipe.  The original is from Alton Brown of Good Eats and can be found here.

Chicken Pot Pie

Total Time: 1 hour (less than half of that is active time)

Serves:  6 to 8 servings

16 oz package frozen vegetable mix, peas, carrots, or dice your own to make 3 cups.

1 to 2 tablespoons canola oil

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 1/2 cups chicken broth (homemade is best or use low sodium canned)

1/2 cup milk

3 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

2 cups cubed cooked chicken

1 package puff pastry or single pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Toss frozen vegetables with canola oil and spread evenly onto a sheet pan. Place into oven and cook until golden brown.

In a large sauté pan heat 3 tablespoon of butter.  When foam subsides, add the onion and celery.  Sweat (cook out some of the water but not browned) onions and celery, 3 to 5 minutes.  Sprinkle with the 3 tablespoons of flour.  Continue to cook another minute or two.  Whisk in the chicken broth and milk and cook until thickened. Add the thyme, salt and pepper. Toss the browned vegetables and the chicken. Pour into a shallow baking pan or deep pie dish, and top with 6 to 8 circles of puff pastry or pie crust. Place into the oven and cook until puff pastry has browned and the mixture is hot and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

For St. Patrick's Day

The people in Ireland don't eat corned beef and cabbage, its strictly an American thing.  (For the whole story, see the Good Eats episode on corned beef.  Their loss, corned beef and cabbage is fine eatin'.  Even without this American invention, the Irish still have plenty of good food.

Irish Potato Soup

This soup is one of the best things to ever happen to a potato.  Hearty and filling, this potato soup gets flavor from onions and herbs.  It’s the perfect warm up meal for a cold wet day, (like most days in Ireland).  The recipe is a variation from the Irish Potato Soup in The Frugal Gourmet on Our Immigrant Ancestors, which is listed in the “I recommend…” section.

Total Time: 35 minutes

Serves 8 to 10

• 6 – 8 slices bacon, diced
• 2 medium yellow onions, peeled and diced
• 2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
• 3 cups milk
• 5-1/2 cups homemade chicken stock or use canned
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, whole
• 1 cup light cream or half and half
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh chives

Heat a 6- to 8-quart stockpot, fry bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and reserve for garnish or just leave it in like I do. Reduce heat and add onions.  Sauté onions until translucent but do not let the onion brown. Add the peeled and sliced potatoes, milk, and chicken stock. Add garlic, celery seeds, and thyme. Cover and cook gently for about an hour.

Prepare a roux: Melt the butter in a small saucepan and whisk in the flour. Let the flour and butter mixture (roux) bubble for 2 minutes on medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Thicken the soup with the roux, whisking carefully to avoid lumps. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes and then puree the soup in a food processor or food blender.  WARNING:  Putting hot liquid in a blender is dangerous.  It will blow boiling hot potato soup all over you and the kitchen if you are not careful.  Blend in small patches and cover blender with a towel before turning on.

Add the cream and gently reheat, but do not boil. Season with the salt and pepper. Serve with chopped fresh chives and the crisply fried bacon (if you didn’t just blend up the bacon with the rest of the soup) as garnishes.

Hearty Spaghetti

I thought this would be the best first recipe.  It seems to be a favorite and more people ask for this recipe than any other.  I have been making this sauce for so long, I can’t remember where it might have come from originally.  I am sure that over time, it has become my own.  As you can see, the quantities are based on what is convenient.  It’s easy to make and can be done in under half an hour.  Serve with a side salad and some crusty bread and you will have a hearty dinner with little time or effort.

Spaghetti

Total time: 30 minutes plus however long you can let it simmer.

Serves: 6 to 8 hungry people.

-        1 lb ground beef (I usually use 1 ¼ pounds because I buy the 5 lb logs and quarter them for freezer storage.)

-        1 lb Italian sausage, bulk or removed from casings

-        1 medium onion, diced

-        12 oz to 16 oz fresh mushrooms, washed and sliced (optional, see notes)

-        3 or 4 cloves garlic, minced (about a heaping tablespoon)

-        2 tsp salt

-        1 ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper

-        1 Tbl dried oregano

-        2 tsp ground or rubbed sage

-        2 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely ground or crushed (you can use a spice grinder, mortar and pestle or just put in a zip top bag and beat with a rolling pin, hammer, whatever)

-        1 tsp dried mint

-        28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed and chopped

-        15 oz can tomato sauce

-        6 oz can tomato paste

-        1 lb dried spaghetti

                                    

In a 5 quart heavy bottom, non-reactive pot (I use an enameled cast iron Dutch oven.  If you don’t have one – get one!) brown the ground beef and sausage over high heat, breaking up any large chunks (5 to 7 min.)  Add garlic, onion and mushrooms.  Continue to cook over high heat (3 to 5 min), stirring often.  Add salt, pepper, oregano, sage, fennel and mint.  Stir well and cook a few minutes more.  Scoop a big spoonful into a bowl and let cool for a minute.  Eat what’s in the bowl.  You need a big bite to really taste things.  It should be a little too salty and herby, you still have lots of tomato stuff to add.  But this bit is also very satisfying, a little treat for the cook. 

Pour juice from whole tomatoes into the pot.  Crush the tomatoes over the pot so all the juice squirts into the pot.  Chop up the crushed tomatoes.  (I suppose you could use a 28 oz can of diced tomatoes but it won’t be as much fun.)  Add tomato sauce and paste.  Bring everything to a boil then reduce to a simmer.  Simmer 5 min. to 3 hours.

Cook noodles according to package directions. 

Check sauce for final seasonings, add salt and pepper to taste.  Serve piping hot.  I like as much or more sauce than noodles.  Hold the canned cheese please.

Notes:

• –Please don’t use canned mushrooms.  Yes, wash your mushrooms!  They are grown in poop.  Just put them in a colander and hose them off.  No, they won’t soak up water.  Even if they did, a little extra water in the sauce won’t hurt near as much as a little extra cow poop.

•  To make this sauce a Bolognese, add ½ cup of heavy cream at the end after you reduce the heat to a simmer.