Manhattan Clam Chowder
Manhattan clam chowder has a red, tomato-based broth and unlike New England clam chowder there is no milk or cream. Manhattan-style chowder also usually contains other vegetables, such as celery and carrots to create a mirepoix. Thyme is often used as a seasoning.
Many sources attribute its creation to Rhode Island's Portuguese fishing communities who were known both for their traditional tomato-based stews and for their frequent travels to New York City's Fulton Fish Market during the mid-1800s.
While Rhode Island clam chowder is clear, it was relatively common in Rhode Island for some cooks to add tomato sauce to their chowder. In Rhode Island this style chowder is also frequently referred to as "Rocky Point Clam Chowder" as it was a popular menu item at the Rocky Point Amusement Park Shore Dinner Hall since the park opened in 1847.
This chowder was at times called by various names including "Clam Chowder – Coney Island Style" (1893). Manhattan clam chowder is included in Victor Hirtzler's Hotel St. Francis Cookbook (1919) and "The Delmonico Cook Book" (1890) as "clam chowder". The "Manhattan" name is first attested in a 1934 cookbook.
Clam chowder is usually served with saltine crackers or small, hexagonal oyster crackers.
Manhattan Clam Chowder
24 (2 dozen) hard shell clams
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 medium onions
1/2 cup celery
1 green pepper
1 clove garlic
3 cups diced boiling potatoes
4 tomatoes
Clam broth, from steaming the clams
1 tsp. thyme
1 tsp. marjoram
pinch cayenne pepper
salt to taste
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. parsley
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. flour
Scrub the clams and let set overnight in water to which oatmeal has been added to help clean out the clams. Steam the clams in 1 cup water until the shells open. Remove the clams from the shells and chop. Set aside. Strain the broth through a fine sieve lined with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy-bottom soup pot, add the onions, celery and green pepper and saute until lightly brown. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute more. Add the potatoes, tomatoes, clam broth from steaming the clams and the seasonings. Simmer over low to medium heat until the potatoes are cooked. Cream the butter and flour together and add. Continue to heat soup until the flour has cooked and the soup has thickened.
6 servings
Manhattan Clam Chowder
from https://www.foodandwine.com/, by Melissa Gray
This recipe for Manhattan Clam Chowder — known for being tomato-forward with a broth base — has layers of flavor, from the clam broth spiked with white wine to the tender vegetables that are cooked in bacon fat. Half of the clams are roughly chopped, while the other half are left whole in their shells for contrast. (Make sure to rinse the clams thoroughly before using them to remove any lingering sand.) As the chowder comes together towards the end, gently mashing some of the baby Yukon gold potatoes with a wooden spoon helps thicken the broth. Serve with crusty bread or oyster crackers.
50 littleneck clams (3 pounds, 8 ounces total), scrubbed
2 cups water
2 cups dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
2 (1 ounce each) thick-cut bacon slices, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 medium-size (10 ounces) yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 medium-size (8 ounces) green bell pepper, seeded and chopped (about 1 cup)
2 medium (about 4 ounces total) carrots, peeled and chopped (about 3/4 cup)
2 medium (about 2 ounces total) celery stalks, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
4 garlic cloves, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoons fresh chopped thyme, plus more for garnish
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 pounds baby Yukon Gold potatoes, unpeeled and quartered
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 dried bay leaf
1 (14 1/2-ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
Black pepper
Place clams, water, and wine in a medium-size Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium-high; simmer until clams have opened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove and discard any clams that did not open. Set a fine mesh strainer lined with cheesecloth over a large heatproof bowl; pour clam mixture through strainer into bowl. Remove half of the clams from shells, and roughly chop (you'll have about 1/4 cup). Reserve remaining clams in shell and clam broth separately (you'll have about 5 cups broth). Rinse Dutch oven, and wipe dry.
Return Dutch oven to medium heat. Add bacon; cook, stirring often, until browned, about 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Add onion, bell pepper, carrots, and celery to drippings in Dutch oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and crushed red pepper; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add potatoes, salt, bay leaf, and reserved clam broth to mixture in Dutch oven; bring to a boil, partially covered, over medium. Boil, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, gently mash some of the potatoes to thicken broth. Stir in tomatoes, chopped clams, clams in shell, and bacon; cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf. Garnish with black pepper and additional thyme.
Servings: 6
