Ok, I've seen enough landlubber chowder (read 'Shoney's') to gag a horse, so
I thought I'd stir up the pot a bit with an alternative chowder. Not for
the squeamish, nor the inside the box crowd. Those who know will
understand.

Jack Schidt Sez..

1 White Onion, roughly diced
3 cloves garlic, roughly minced
2 frozen bratwurst, sliced into 'discs'
half a potato, rough dice
freshly cracked black pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 lb fresh chopped clams (ok, ok, I live close to RI)
enough lard to do the job
1 can of coconut milk (hehe...this you did not expect, eh?)


Ok, here goes.....I heat a pot, toss the lard in; it melts and does the
frying vehicle thang so I toss in the onions and turn down the heat to
medium and the onions get that browning thing going before they just
caramelize. The bratwurst should be frozen cuz it's easier to slice into
nice disc slices. Why bratwurst, you ask? Well I've got the lard and onion
thang going already....it's pork fat that makes a decent chowder, but why
stop there? I add the bratwurst and now I've got this pork fat-onion-pork
and veal with mace and marjoram thing going too. Hokay, these fresh chopped
clams come in a plastic tub; I drain them in a sieve and pick for shell
pieces (toldja they were fresh). This draining goes on as the pot is
sauteeing/simmering. I deglace the pot with the clam broth and then add the
potatoes, stirring it up. Another 10 minutes goes by and then I add the
<gasp> coconut milk. More about that later. Then I add some fresh cracked
pepper, a coupla pinches of salt (the brats already have some salt in em),
maybe a pinch of thyme and put a cover on the pot. It sits and simmers for
probably a half hour. Ok, I'm getting hungry now, so I add the clams into
the simmering pot. 5 minutes later I pull the pot off the stove and serve
( we don't want rubber clams, right?). Oh yeah, I diced a few scallions for
'garni'.

Anyway, there's another view on the chowder idea.

Jack Suppe

PS I know, the coconut milk. I wasn't going to drive to the store to pick
up that bovine juice so I made do. Besides I was curious.

PSS This is some tasty chowder; Shoney's be damned! It's 'thick' cuz every
spoonful is basically a spoonful of clams with a cube of potato on top and a
nice soupy 'gravy' to move it along.

"Jack Schidt®" > wrote in message
. ..
> Ok, I've seen enough landlubber chowder (read 'Shoney's') to gag a horse,
so
> I thought I'd stir up the pot a bit with an alternative chowder. Not for
> the squeamish, nor the inside the box crowd. Those who know will
> understand.
SNIP of pure YUM!!!

I bow to you O maker of tasty treat

Jack Schidt® > wrote:
>Ok, I've seen enough landlubber chowder (read 'Shoney's') to gag a horse, so

I find it hard to believe you've been in a "Shoney's", much
less intend to use it as a culinary archetype of any kind.

--Blair
"The least you can do is stoop to
Denny's."

On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 23:12:57 GMT, "Jack Schidt®"
> wrote:

>probably a half hour. Ok, I'm getting hungry now, so I add the clams into
>the simmering pot. 5 minutes later I pull the pot off the stove and serve
>( we don't want rubber clams, right?). Oh yeah, I diced a few scallions for
>'garni'.

Well, you have the most crucial point. Most of the chowders I have had
in restaurants neglect this and let the clams go to rubber, probably
in a misguided attempt to extract the most flavor from them.

If you want a strong clam flavor in the broth, use one wave of clams
for the broth, and take them out near the end, adding new clams that
won't overcook.


Rodney Myrvaagnes Opionated old geezer

Faith-based economics: It's deja voodoo all over again

Jack Schidt® wrote:
> PS I know, the coconut milk. I wasn't going to drive to the store to pick
> up that bovine juice so I made do. Besides I was curious.
>
> PSS This is some tasty chowder; Shoney's be damned! It's 'thick' cuz every
> spoonful is basically a spoonful of clams with a cube of potato on top and a
> nice soupy 'gravy' to move it along.
>
>

Do you think "Coco Lopez" would work? Thanks!

Best regards,
Bob

Hark! I heard zxcvbob > say:
> Jack Schidt® wrote:

> > PS I know, the coconut milk. I wasn't going to drive to the store to pick
> > up that bovine juice so I made do. Besides I was curious.

> > PSS This is some tasty chowder; Shoney's be damned! It's 'thick' cuz every
> > spoonful is basically a spoonful of clams with a cube of potato on top and a
> > nice soupy 'gravy' to move it along.

> Do you think "Coco Lopez" would work? Thanks!

Sounds like a 50's lounge act. ;-) I want to try Jack's recipe, but I'm
too chicken to go with coconut milk. I'll probably use cow milk...


--
j*ni p. ~ mom, gamer, novice cook ~
...fish heads, fish heads, eat them up, yum!