So my MIL (mother-in-law) went to a cafe recently (somewhere in the east) and tasted some clam chowder. We were shocked to hear that she actually liked to it. Okay, a little background on my MIL. She is definitely not big into western food and does not like anything that is creamy or cheesy. I asked her to describe the taste and texture to me and just as I suspected, the thickness of the chowder was not the Soup-Spoon kind (for those who does not know Soup Spoon, they are a soup chain here in Singapore, famed for their thick, rich, chunky soups, which I totally love by the way) but rather on the thinner side. Traditionally, clam chowder is made with potatoes, celery, onion and bacon. But for BNF version, I’ve added in carrots and corn kernels (for extra color and taste) and toned down the thickness of the consistency. It has passed my MIL’s taste test and I’m a happy DIL! (Daughter-in-law haha!)
Ingredients:
100 g clam meat (fresh or frozen)
2 cans minced clam in juice
2 cups chicken stock
2 sticks celery – diced
1 stick medium carrot – diced
1 large russet potato – cubed
1/2 medium yellow onion – diced
1 cup corn kernels (I’m using pre-cooked)
3 slabs streaky bacon (must be streaky as we need the fat)
1 bay leave
2 tbsp plain flour
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Serves 4
I bought these minced clams in juice from Cold Storage. 🙂 Oh, and behind are the corn kernels.
Dice the bacon and all of the vegetables (except the potato). Peel and cut the potato and cut into cubes. Open the canned clams and set aside.
This is my favorite brand of bacon. Not overly salted and crisp up really nicely.
Heat up a large dutch oven or pot and add in the bacon. Sauté them around until golden brown.
You do not have to add any oil.
Remove the bacon from the pot but leave the oil in the pot.
The fat in the bacon is all the oil I need for this recipe.
My bacon chips…yum!
Add in the diced vegetables, bay leave and saute until soft (approx. 2 mins). Add in the flour and cook it for another minute.
Creating a roux with the flour.
Reserve the minced clam meat for later and add in the juice from the cans, follow by the stock and potatoes. Let it simmer for about 20 mins or until the potatoes are soft.
Let’s clean up the kitchen while waiting :-P.
Finally, stir in the corn, clam meat, minced clam and cream and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
I’m using pre-cooked clams.
By now, your kitchen should be filled with warm gulfs of aroma from the chowder.
Garnish with bacon bits and parsley. Serve hot with your favorite bread or savor it on its own (that’s what I did!)
A warm and satisfying brunch!
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