F.E.A.S.T.: Clam Chowder

Wait a minute, didn't I just post something yesterday? I seem to recall doing something with lots of pumpkin....

Eh, what're you gonna do?

Hello again, dear readers!

In honor of the recent snap of cold weather we had a short time back (when everything decided to get down below freezing before jumping back up to the 70s), I decided that it was the perfect time to try my hand at making some soup. OK, so my roommate requested it, but who's keeping track?

So I made it my mission to make New England style (or close enough) clam chowder, from scratch, as a F.E.A.S.T.! I got everything together, I worked my tail off, and I made a pretty delicious bowl of soup, thank you very much. Then I looked at my budget. And then I looked at the clock.

::sigh::

Yeah. So, not a F.E.A.S.T., or at least, not really. I went over on both time and funds, which are two of the four pillars that hold up this whole wacky concept. So to say that this one is teetering would be an understatement. However! The soup was a success, and I think that with a bit of stretching, we can make this work, even if we have to bend the rules a bit. Regardless, I think this one is worth sharing, so I'm going to do just that!

WHAT I USED!!!
2 small yellow onions, diced ($1.0)
10-12 yellow potatoes, cubed (from a $1.5 bag)
4 cans baby clams, water reserved ($8.0)
32oz veggie stock ($2.0)
1pint heavy cream ($2.0)
1/2 package of bacon!, diced (from a $3.5 package)
a few sprigs of fresh thyme ($2.0)
3-5tbs AP flour (stock)
a few bay leaves (stock)

Final Price: $20

Huh, OK, so now that I've written it out, maybe I didn't go as over on the budget as I'd thought. I must be remembering something else. And it does make a lot of chowder, so I don't feel too bad about being on the borderline.

WHAT I DID!!!
In a large stockpot, cook the bacon over medium heat until almost crispy, then toss in the onions. Throw a bit of salt on top of them for good measure. Give the onions about 5-7min to soften. When the onions are cooked, but before they start to take on too much color, sprinkle on your flour. You want enough to absorb all the bacon drippings and form a roux. This will help to thicken the soup. It's hard to describe, but suffice to say, when it looks like a thin paste with no flour lumps, you should be set.

Once you have your roux, add the veggie stock and stir to combine with all the flour. Once it's smooth, add the water from the clams, the cream, and the potatoes. You can toss the bay leaves (which will have to come out at the end) and the thyme in as well, or you can put them in a large tea ball and let them steep that way. Bring the mixture just to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 15-20min., or until the potatoes are fork-tender.

Toss the clams in, and sprinkle a healthy amount of freshly-ground black pepper over the whole thing. Give it another five minutes for the clams to firm up, and you're ready to serve with (or in!) the bread of your choice!

Alright then, let's get right to our acronym. I, for one, am anxious to see how this all pans out!

Fast: Not really. The whole thing, starting with chopping the veggies, took about an hour and twenty minutes. So no luck there. But what am I saying? Get some help and make it go faster! (Just be careful out there with all the sharp knives, OK?)

Easy: Yeah, it's basically adding a bunch of stuff to a pot and letting it go. That's why I love soup; it really is just that easy!

Affordable: Twenty bucks for about 8 servings seems pretty awesome to me. Woo-hoo! We made this pillar work after all!

Super Tasty: Oh very yes. The clams, so plump and juicy, with just a hint of the sea, were definitely the main attraction. But the seasonings and the potatoes added their own unique flavors as well, providing a perfect balance. It was creamy and hardy without being too thick, like canned chowders so often are. I call it good ol' fashioned comfort food, the kind that fills you up and warms you through. And the bacon, of course, makes everything better.

So there you have it: a savory bowl of clam chowder, prepped in just over an hour with a conscious nod towards a healthy budget. I hope you enjoyed this entry, and I hope that you will give this soup a try and tell me what you think. I more or less crafted it myself, taking elements and inspiration from about three or five different methods I found around the internets, so I am very interested to hear what people think.

(Oh, and this shouldn't be an issue, but we did find a wee piece of clam shell in with the meat, which was very unpleasant to bit down upon, I am sure. Just be careful, kids.)

Until next time, go forth and eat well!