Wednesday, January 18, 2012

What's for Dinner Wednesday - Manhattan Clam Chowder

I'm always on the look out for new recipes, so I was super excited when the girls over at Shaw Media gave me Chef Michael Smith's Kitchen - 100 of my Favourite Easy Recipes cookbook as a going away gift on my last day.

Chef Michael has some awesome recipes, that taste delicious and are super easy to make. Tonight I made my first attempt at clam chowder, and it turned out great!! This one is a little different than the usual clam chowder, as it has a tomato base instead of cream, making it a much lighter dish. You can use it as a starter, but because it's so hearty, you can eat it as a main course too.

I thought I would share the recipe in case you wanted something nice and easy to make on these super dreary & cold days we've been having lately!

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER


Serves 4 to 6


2 tablespoons (30 mL) of olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped (I only had a red onion in my cupboard, so I used that instead of yellow)
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 baking potato, peeled and diced
2 cans (each 5 ounces/142 g) of clams
1 can (28 ounces/796 mL) of chopped tomatoes
2 cups (500 mL) of tomato juice
1 teaspoon (5 mL) of dried thyme
A sprinkle or two of salt and lots of freshly ground pepper
1 cup (250 mL) of chopped fresh parsley (about 1 bunch)


Splash the olive oil into your favourite soup pot and heat it over meadium-high heat. Sauté the onions, garlic, celery and bell pepper until they're bright and tender but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the potato, clams and their liquid, tomatoes, tomato juice and thyme and bring everything to a boil.  Reduce the heat so the liquid is just barely simmering and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. (It took about 30 minutes for me, so just test the potato as you go!)


Just before serving, season the soup to your taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in the parsley at the last second to preserve its fresh aromatic flavour. Serve and share!

KITCHEN TIP
Fresh parsley is often overlooked as a herb and tends to be thought of as just a pretty garnish. In fact it's packed with aromatic flavours that brighten this soup and many other dishes. Because its flavours are delicate, parsley is best when it's added last - too much heat will damage and diminish its brightness.


I hope it's as delicious for you as it was for me! As always, I love your feedback. Feel free to comment in the comment section below and let me know how yours turned out!

3 comments:

  1. This sounds yummy! Love new recipes. I have a bunch of gluten free recipes on my blog if you're interested in that.

    Luana Mercy

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  2. It's delicious! Let me know how yours turns out!

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  3. Recently made this. So delicious, perfect flavours. Will add to our soup rotation.

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