Clam Chowder

Gnome approved

As soon as the leaves turn and the beginning of rainy season takes hold here on the west coast my thoughts turn to warm soups on a dark night. One such soup is a clam chowder with lots of clams and fish - not that tomato based kind (tomatoes and clams...blasphemous) but the creamy New England variety (note clam chowder beer pairing below).

What you will need:

• 1 can baby clams
• 1 can clam juice
• about 400 grams of white fish of your choice
• 1 leek finely chopped
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 2 cups diced potatoes
• 1/2 cup frozen corn
• 2 fresh bay leaves
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup cereal milk or sour cream
• 2 TBSP red wine vinegar
• Fresh chopped herbs (such as parsley and chives)
• Salt (smoked) and Pepper to Taste

Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover and bay leaves, and cook over medium heat until tender.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in milk/cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir into vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil. Add fish to cook. Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with herbs and salt and pepper.

Clam Chowder Beer Pairing: There are a few different ways you can go with this type of soup. An IPA with its bitter hoppiness will cut through the creamy soup nicely while a dark or brown ale would also pair well. You can also go with a thick stout or porter. This time I went with a west coast crossover - a Cascadian Dark Ale (sometimes also called a Black IPA or an American Black Ale) which is a dark malty beer with a high amount of west coast hops.