SWEET CORN AND CLAM CHOWDER
Silver Queen has definitely been the queen of the new, white, sweet summer corn—and down our way, nothing works for anything “clam” except our beautiful Cherrystones pulled from the Bay, or from the waters sheltered by the Barrier Islands. Put them together and you have the best of everything—summer! The hands-on prep is part of the summer ritual—cleaning and steaming the clams, (and eating a few), husking the corn. Making chowder, and making memories.
A clear chowder or a creamy New England style? The base is the same. This recipe makes about 6 servings—adjust to feed your crew.
- Bag of small fresh clams, Cherrystones, or other small hard clams, 50 count—steamed and chopped
- 3 slices of bacon, chopped
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped
- 1 tblsp flour
- 1 bottle clam juice–8 oz
- 2-3 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
- 4 ears of sweet white corn, steamed and kernels removed
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 1-2 tsp Old Bay seasoning, to taste
- ½+ tsp black pepper, to taste
- 1 cup cream or half and half
- Chopped parsley garnish (optional)
Rinse the clams under cold running water, then place in a pot of cold water to cover—add 2 tblsp salt and let sit for about an hour. Drain and rinse again to clear all sand. Put clams in large pot—add about ½” water. Cover and steam 5-10 minutes until they open. Remove clams to bowl to cool, then chop—strain liquid and reserve. Discard unopened clams. Place unhusked corn in microwave and cook for 3 minutes. Cool, then husk and remove kernels. Cook chopped bacon in chowder pot until translucent. Remove all but 2 tblsp of fat— add onions, cook for about 5 min, stirring once or twice. Add flour—toss to coat all and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly add 1 cup clam cooking liquid, stirring constantly. Add the potatoes, spices, clam juice and remaining clam cooking liquid—bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are cooked. Add corn and clams—simmer for a few more minutes. Remove from heat. For the clear chowder style of the mid-Atlantic tradition, you’re done. For creamy New England style—heat the cream or half and half and stir slowly into the chowder. Garnish with chopped parsley.
The Kitchen Hive
