New England Clam Chowder with Salt Pork Belly
Ingredients :
4 oz. salt pork belly, 1/4” diced
1 large white onion, 1/4” diced
6 large white potatoes, peeled and 1/2” diced, cover with fresh water
2 dozen quahogs or chowder clams (or 2 10-oz. cans whole baby clams in juice)
1 qt. water (or 1 qt. low sodium chicken broth)
1/2 tsp. fresh chopped thyme or marjoram
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation :
Wash the clams to remove any sand or grit. Place them in a large steamer pot with one quart of water under the steamer basket. Steam the clams over high heat until they have just opened. Remove the clams as they open and place them in a bowl, making sure to dump all of the liquid from the shell before removing them. Once all of the clams have opened, turn the heat off and strain the liquid from the bottom of the steamer into a clean bowl.
Remove the clams from their shells, leaving the adductor muscles attached to the shell. These are very tough in large clams and aren’t fun to chew. Discard the shells and strain the liquid remaining in the bowl, adding it to the liquid from the steamer. Coarsely chop the clam meat into 1/2” pieces and set them aside in a clean bowl.
If using canned clams, drain them, reserving the juice. Set aside.
Use a 12-quart enameled cast iron pot or Dutch oven to make the chowder. Place the pot over medium heat and add the salt pork and onions. Stir for several minutes, until fat begins to render and the onions are soft and just beginning to brown.
Remove the potatoes from the water and add them to your pot, stirring them into the salt pork and onion mixture. Fry for two to three minutes. Add herbs and salt the potatoes lightly. The pork is salty but it helps to season the potatoes now so they absorb the flavor.
Add the reserved clam broth (or the reserved clam juice from draining both cans of clams, plus 1 quart chicken broth) to cover everything by 2 inches. Bring the chowder to a boil and turn down to a simmer. When the potatoes are just tender, add the chopped clams and season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Turn the heat up to high until it returns to a boil, then remove it from the heat and serve.
Serve boiling hot in a mug with oyster crackers.
Source : Adapted from Stephen Gerike of the National Pork Board via afarmgirlsdabbles.com/2013/10/30/new-england-clam-chowder-with-salt-pork-belly-recipe-pork-crawl-in-nantucket/
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