Not only did I discover some of the freshest, most delicious sea food i've ever seen, I also found some amazing fresh produce, breads, and some of the most beautiful fresh flowers for cheap.
We found one fresh fish shop that also served prepared items like roasted salmon on a stick, crab cocktail, crab legs, and jumbo shrimp cocktail. We went for the crab cocktail and it was well worth the price we paid for it!
While walking through the shops and up and down the streets I was inspired. How could I come to a fish market and not buy some fresh fish? But what? Salmon? Shrimp? Halibut? Lobster?! Yum... 'Oohh! I know...clams!' (They were the cheapest for my spending budget). 'I'll make some home-made clam chowder with fresh clams for my bestie and her husband for dinner!'
I bought 5lbs. of clams (in the shells) and we stopped at the store on the way home for some other necessary ingredients: celery, onion, potato, half and half, milk, and small round loaves of bread for bread bowls.
I have made clam chowder lots of times before but never using fresh clams. There's a few things you need to do before using fresh clams. First, clean the clams under running water and scrub with a stiff brush. You don't want any sand to end up in your chowder. Then steam the clams in a covered stock pot with a few inches of water for about 5 minutes to open the shells. Once the shells are fully opened, it's really easy to shuck the clams. Just take a spoon and scrape them away from the shell. I gave them one more rinse in a strainer, just to be sure... did I mention sand in your soup is not a good idea? :)
I kept the water from the steam pots, strained it in a screened sieve and used some of it in the soup for an extra layer of flavor. This chowder turned out so delicious. It was thick and rich and creamy and FULL of clams. I didnt even bother to chop or mince them, I just left them whole. I sliced the top off a small sourdough bread loaf, hollowed out some of the bread to create a bowl and served it up topped with a little shredded cheddar cheese.
Clam Chowder Recipe
• 2 Tbs. Butter
• 1/2 Large Onion
• 1 cup diced Celery
• 1 Large Potato (peeled and diced)
• Water ( enough to cover the potatoes in the pot)
• Chicken Bouillon cube
• 2 cups Milk
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 Pint Half &Half
• ½ to 1 cup Clam Juice (reserved from steam pot, strained)
• Tbs Old Bay Seasoning (Or any seafood seasoning)
• Pinch of Thyme
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 5 lbs. Clams in the shell - Yielded about 2½ to 3 cups shucked clams (Canned is ok if you don't
have fresh, but fresh is so much better. If you must use canned, use at least two 6.5 oz cans with their juice)
Dice half a large onion and enough celery stalks to yield a cup of each. Wash, peel and dice the potato, set aside. Melt the butter in a large soup pot and saute' the celery and onion until the onion starts to carmelize. Add the diced potato and give it a quick stir. Add enough water to just cover the potato and veggies. Drop a chicken bouillon cube into the pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 6-8 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
While the potatoes are simmering, make a 'slurry' with one cup of milk and the ¼ cup of flour. Place both in a jar or if you have one, a 'shaker cup.' You know... one of those protein shake cups with the little whisk ball inside or the lid that has a grate. Either way, give it a good shake to mix well.
Once the potatoes are tender, add the slurry. It will thicken quickly. As soon as it thickens, slowly add the other cup of milk, stirring constantly. Use the reserved clam juice to thin further if necessary. Let the soup come back up to a simmer and add the half & half. Add the Old Bay Seasoning, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer until it thickens. Add the clams and gently stir. Let the chowder simmer for just a few minutes or until the clams are heated through.
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