I went to college in Boston, Massachusetts, so I’m familiar with New England clam chowder. When he went out to dinner, which was not often, he always asked for it. In fact, I was in the mood for clam chowder. Hands down, this buttery, creamy, sticky short rib soup is delicious, especially on a winter’s night.

My love of New England chowder didn’t change my love of Manhattan chowder. I am originally from Long Island, New York, and our family used to go swimming at Jones Beach on the south shore of the island. We stayed for the evening water show and clam chowder. As an elementary school student at the time, I loved the clam chowder and the little round cookie packets that came with it.

Sometimes my mom would make Manhattan clam chowder from scratch and it was delicious. Dad opened the clam shells and scooped out the meat with a stubby little knife. I remember being a little scared as she watched it. But chef and writer James Beard hated Manhattan’s chowder, according to http://www.whatscookingamerica.net. He described it as a vegetable soup with clams in it. With all due respect to James Beard, I love Manhattan chowder for the vegetables and clams.

The wet site http://www.whatscookingamerica.net says that some food historians think Manhattan chowder was also known as Coney Island chowder and Fulton Market chowder, after the famous market Fulton’s Fish Market in New York City. Manhattan clam chowder was also called Connecticut chowder. I found many recipes for tomato based soup in my cookbooks.

A recipe in “The Healthy Cook,” published by “Prevention Magazine,” contains clam juice, reduced-sodium canned tomatoes, garlic, and hot sauce. The original recipe from the book “Joy of Cooking” contains bacon, canned tomatoes, ketchup and butter. Other Manhattan chowder recipes contain green pepper. I didn’t want green pepper, ketchup, hot sauce, or garlic in my soup.

What did he want? She wanted a lot of clam flavor and lots of vegetables. Read my recipe and you will see that it has more vegetables than clams. There is hardly any fat because the fat from the bacon has been cooked through. Canned clams and juice contain salt, so I omitted it from the recipe. Stir up a batch of Manhattan clam chowder today and give it the praise it deserves!

INGREDIENTS

2 14.5-ounce cans whole, unsalted tomatoes and juice

4 6.5-ounce cans chopped clams and juice

1 8-ounce bottle clam juice

2 1/2 cups of water

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped yellow onions

1 cup sweet baby carrots (from a package)

1 medium potato, peeled and cut into small pieces

1/2 cup chopped Italian parsley

3 tablespoons real precooked bacon

1 teaspoon thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon seasoned pepper

METHOD

For canned tomatoes in a cauldron for soup. Cut the tomatoes into bite-sized pieces with kitchen shears. Chop the celery and onions and add to the soup pot. Add the remaining ingredients, cover, and simmer for one hour. Or simmer in a slow cooker, over low heat, for four hours. This Manhattan clam chowder tastes even better the next day. Makes 12 one-cup servings.

Copyright 2007 by Harriet Hodgson