Sunday’s Super bowl will feature New England Patriots and the New York Giants. Count on an interesting game, because New England is undefeated 18 and 0.
Impressed? Don’t be. I only know because I called my son. He told me which teams were playing so I could plan Super Bowl food.
New England and New York are perfect. In fact, it’s as if they got together just to make it easy for cooks to prepare this obvious menu: New England clam chowder and Manhattan clam chowder.
To level the playing field, we’ll serve both soups in individual bread bowls; souper bowls, if you will.
But let’s talk football, shall we?
At their core, Super Bowl players are more alike than dissimilar. They’re men. They’re young. They’re incredible athletes.
They’re divided by different teams and uniforms.
These chowders are like that. Both soups have clams. Both soups have onions, garlic, celery, clam juice and white wine. Both soups are seasoned with salt and pepper.
After that, like the football players, they’re seriously divided.
New England clam chowder is white. It has potatoes. It’s thickened with cream.
Manhattan clam chowder is red. It has tomatoes and potatoes. It’s not thickened with anything, which is why, to tell you the truth, Manhattan clam chowder is not thick enough to call itself a chowder.
But who am I to change its name?
Either way, both recipes are good, strong contenders.
Come Sunday, they’ll play against each other. May the best chowder win.
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Doni’s Souper Bread Bowl
New England Clam Chowder
1 pound bacon, diced
1 large white onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
4 cloves of garlic, smashed and minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
4 bay leaves
1 cup flour
8 cups clam juice
1 cup white wine ((optional: may substitute chicken broth, water or more clam juice)
6 to 8 large potatoes (your favorite), peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces
2 cups corn
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 cans (6 1/2 ounces each) minced clams
Parsley, chopped, for garnish
10 to 12 small bread bowls
Fry the bacon in a large Dutch oven or deep pot. Remove the bacon and all but about a few tablespoons of the grease.
Stir into the bacon drippings the onion and celery and saute until the vegetables are translucent. Add the garlic and saute just until light brown.
Stir in the flour and cook for about 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the clam juice and water, stirring until well blended. Add the potatoes, corn and bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.
Lower temperature and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add the cream and clams and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. (Do not boil; it toughens clams.) Adjust seasonings.
Meanwhile, cut small “lids” off the bread bowls. Use your fingers to remove much of the bread bowl insides. (Save it for bread pudding.)
Ladle the soup into bread bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and reserved bacon. Top with the bread bowl lids.
Makes about 10 servings
Doni’s Souper Bread Bowl
Manhattan Clam Chowder
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
1 cup carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, smashed and minced
6 to 8 large potatoes, peeled and cubed into bite-sized pieces
3 cans (14.5 ounces each) diced tomatoes, with juices
2 cups bottled clam juice, or seafood broth
1 cup dry white wine (optional: may substitute chicken broth, water or more clam juice)
4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/4 cup chopped parsley, plus more for garnish
3 cans (6 1/2 ounces each) minced clams
10 to 12 small bread bowls
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep pot. Add the onion, celery and carrots and saute until the carrots are softened and the onions and celery are translucent. Add the garlic and saute just until light brown.
Add the canned tomatoes and saute for 2 or 3 minutes. Now add the clam juice and wine, stirring until well blended. Add the potatoes, corn and bay leaves. Salt and pepper to taste.
Lower temperature and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Add the thyme, parsley and clams and simmer for another 5 to 7 minutes. (Do not boil; it toughens clams.) Adjust seasonings.
Meanwhile, cut small “lids” off the bread bowls. Use your fingers to remove much of the bread bowl insides. (Save it for bread pudding.)
Ladle the soup into bread bowls. Garnish with more parsley. Top with the bread bowl lids.
Makes about 10 servings
2008 doni greenberg copyright
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