barefoot contessa meets tasty tuesday...

This weeks recipe comes from the lovely and talented Ina Garten. Barefoot Blogger Laura @ Family Spice chose this recipe and when my husband saw it on the calendar he was thrilled. We fell in love with clam chowder when we lived in Maine from 1989-92. Seafood was in abundance and each local restaurant had their own version of the classic New England Clam Chowder. No two were alike and that's what made it fun to hop around town and try each one.

What makes this chowder special is the glistening creamy base. It is light and lovely. The veggies are tender and the clams sweet. Another bonus to the soup is that it makes 12-15 servings. Also, I used canned clams to save money. It's the perfect cure to a cold rainy day.

Celebrate the Feast!
Mary

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East Hampton Clam Chowder

recipe from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

Ingredients:

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, divided

2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)

2 cups medium-diced celery (4 stalks)

2 cups medium-diced carrots (6 carrots)

4 cups peeled medium-diced boiling potatoes (8 potatoes)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves (1/2 teaspoon dried)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 quart (4 cups) clam juice

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups milk

3 cups chopped fresh chowder clams (1 1/2 pounds shucked clams)

Directions:

Melt 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) of the butter in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot. Add the onions and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until translucent. Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper and saute for 10 more minutes. Add the clam juice, bring to a boil, and simmer, uncovered, until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

In a small pot, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter and whisk in the flour. Cook over very low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Whisk in a cup of the hot broth and then pour this mixture back into the cooked vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes until the broth is thickened.

Add the milk and clams and heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.