Did you know that Ron, the owner of The Juice Bar, used to make and sell soup for a few weeks before The Juice Bar closed for the season? He also makes a mean sourdough baguette to accompany his delicious soups. Maybe he still does? Anyway, this recipe is an ode to his ethereal Chicken Corn Chowder. Warming and filling, while the herbs and lemon zest keep it from seeming heavy, it’s a potluck favorite. It’s also simple to riffon; swap out the quahogs for leftover roast chicken, white fish (like haddock), or even bay scallops. Just make sure to add your protein at the tail end of cooking, when the potatoes are fully cooked.
Ingredients
- 2 strips humanely raised pork bacon, cut into lardons (I like D’Artagnan brand)
- 2 medium white onions, small dice
- 4 stalks celery, peeled and diced
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tablespoon crushed fennel seed (optional)
- 3 large Russet potatoes, peeled, medium dice
- 1 cup quality white wine or dry vermouth
- 1-2 cups water (see instructions)
- 8 large quahogs*
- 2-4 cups light or heavy cream, depending on preference for thickness
- 2 cups frozen Bartlett’s Farm sweet corn
- 2 tablespoons each of fresh chopped parsley, tarragon, and thyme
- Zest of half a lemon
- Plenty of salt and pepper, to taste
- Toasted pink salt sourdough bread and butter (for serving)
Preparation
Cook the bacon lardons in a Dutch oven over medium-low until rendered. Keep the bacon in the pot and add the diced onions, sautéing them in the bacon fat until softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the celery and garlic, cooking for another few minutes until fragrant. I like to add some crushed fennel seed at this point. Sautéing the seeds enlivens their flavor and aroma.
Add the potatoes and let them cook for a couple of minutes, allowing them to soak up the flavors.
Pour in the white wine and let it reduce by half.
Add enough water to just cover the potato mixture. Simmer until the potatoes are almost tender.
Add the chopped clams (with their juice) and the cream, being careful not to bring the mixture to a boil. Let it simmer gently until the clams are cooked through.
Add the frozen corn toward the end, just until heated through.
Stir in the parsley, tarragon, thyme, and lemon zest right before serving.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with toasted pink salt sourdough bread, salted butter, and great company.
About this recipe
*For the clams, I use a genius method passed down from the “Quahog King” himself, Carl Sjolund: Scrub the outer shells of the quahogs to clean them of any sand and wipe dry. Freeze the quahogs whole in the shell. When you’re ready to make the chowder, place them under running water for thirty seconds to a minute. Run a butter knife around the inside of the shells to separate them. Chop the frozen clams with their frozen juices on a cutting board set on top of a baking sheet, making sure not to lose a drop of that briny goodness. So easy!
