New England Clam Chowder About 4 cups This New England clam chowder gets its creamy thickness from heavy cream and the starch in the potatoes. Scrub individually with a vegetable brush: 5 pounds quahogs or other hard shell clams Place in a sink or large soup pot, cover with cold water, and stir in: 1/4 cup salt Let stand for 30 minutes to rid the clams of sand. Rinse and drain in a colander. Place the clams in a large soup pot and add: 1 cup water Any scraps of onion, celery, thyme, or bay leaf (optional) Cover and steam over high heat until the clams are completely open, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove from their shells and coarsely chop into 3/8-inch pieces. Place in a soup pot and cook, stirring, over medium heat until slightly crisp: 2 slices bacon or 2 ounces salt pork, diced Stir in: 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon unsalted butter When the onions are translucent, add the reserved cooking liquid along with: 3 red or white new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in the chopped clams along with: 1 cup heavy cream Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with: Ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Ladle into soup dishes or cups. Serve with: Cream Biscuits, 123, or common crackers Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup About 6 cups Coconut milk is an infusion of grated coconut and boiling water or milk and is easily mode from scratch. Pour 1 cup boiling water or milk over 1 packed cup fresh coconut shreds. Stir well, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Process the mixture (no more than 3 cups at a time) in a blender or food processor for 1 minute. Pour all the shreds and milk into a damp clean cloth and press the liquid into a bowl, squeezing until the shreds are dry. The first pressing is referred to as thick coconut milk, and the yield is about 1 cup. Cover, refrigerate, and use within 3 days. Simmer kaffir lime leaves or lemon grass in the coconut milk first for a delicate citrus flavor. Bring to a boil in a soup pot: 3 cups Chicken Stock, 22 2 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk Reduce the heat and stir in: 2 small Thai peppers or 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger 1/8 teaspoon salt Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in: 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Ladle into warmed bowls. Garnish with: Chopped fresh cilantro Copyright © 2000 by Simon & Schuster Inc. New England Clam Chowder About 4 cups This New England clam chowder gets its creamy thickness from heavy cream and the starch in the potatoes. Scrub individually with a vegetable brush: 5 pounds quahogs or other hard-shell clams Place in a sink or large soup pot, cover with cold water, and stir in: 1/4G cup salt Let stand for 30 minutes to rid the clams of sand. Rinse and drain in a colander. Place the clams in a large soup pot and add: 1 cup water Any scraps of onion, celery, thyme, or bay leaf (optional) Cover and steam over high heat until the clams are completely open, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove from their shells and coarsely chop into 3/8-inch pieces. Place in a soup pot and cook, stirring, over medium heat until slightly crisp: 2 slices bacon or 2 ounces salt pork, diced Stir in: 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 bay leaf 1ì teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon unsalted butter When the onions are translucent, add the reserved cooking liquid along with: 3 red or white new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in the chopped clams along with: 1 cup heavy cream Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with: Ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Ladle into soup dishes or cups. Serve with: Cream Biscuits, 123, or common crackers Copyright © 2000 by Simon & Schuster Inc., The Joy of Cooking Trust and The MRB Revocable Trust New England Clam Chowder About 4 cups This New England clam chowder gets its creamy thickness from heavy cream and the starch in the potatoes. Scrub individually with a vegetable brush: 5 pounds quahogs or other hard shell clams Place in a sink or large soup pot, cover with cold water, and stir in: 1/4 cup salt Let stand for 30 minutes to rid the clams of sand. Rinse and drain in a colander. Place the clams in a large soup pot and add: 1 cup water Any scraps of onion, celery, thyme, or bay leaf (optional) Cover and steam over high heat until the clams are completely open, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove from their shells and coarsely chop into 3/8-inch pieces. Place in a soup pot and cook, stirring, over medium heat until slightly crisp: 2 slices bacon or 2 ounces salt pork, diced Stir in: 1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme 1 tablespoon unsalted butter When the onions are translucent, add the reserved cooking liquid along with: 3 red or white new potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch dice Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 12 minutes. Stir in the chopped clams along with: 1 cup heavy cream Simmer for 5 minutes. Season with: Ground black pepper to taste 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley Ladle into soup dishes or cups. Serve with: Cream Biscuits, 123, or common crackers Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup About 6 cups Coconut milk is an infusion of grated coconut and boiling water or milk and is easily mode from scratch. Pour 1 cup boiling water or milk over 1 packed cup fresh coconut shreds. Stir well, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Process the mixture (no more than 3 cups at a time) in a blender or food processor for 1 minute. Pour all the shreds and milk into a damp clean cloth and press the liquid into a bowl, squeezing until the shreds are dry. The first pressing is referred to as thick coconut milk, and the yield is about 1 cup. Cover, refrigerate, and use within 3 days. Simmer kaffir lime leaves or lemon grass in the coconut milk first for a delicate citrus flavor. Bring to a boil in a soup pot: 3 cups Chicken Stock, 22 2 2/3 cups unsweetened coconut milk Reduce the heat and stir in: 2 small Thai peppers or 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, seeded and sliced 3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce (nam pla) or soy sauce 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger 1/8 teaspoon salt Simmer for 10 minutes, then stir in: 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Ladle into warmed bowls. Garnish with: Chopped fresh cilantro Copyright © 2000 by Simon & Schuster Inc. Excerpted from All about Soups and Stews by Ethan Becker, Marion Rombauer Becker, Irma S. Rombauer All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
