With this recipe, you can give your guests something to love you for. This dish is a perfect way to welcome the transition of autumn after pleasant winter which is a time when you can secure the best shellfish. Whether it is razor clams you prefer or manila clams you are fond of, winters have the best of everything to offer when such clams are plump and plentiful. If razor clams are not available, you can always go for those easily available in your area such as little neck clams.
Recipe
This recipe serves 4. The cooking time is 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Butter 1 tablespoon
Turnip (diced and peeled) ¼ cup
Celery root(diced and peeled) ¼ cup
Gold potatoes (diced and peeled) ¼ cup
Clam stock (reserved) 2 cups
Heavy cream 1 cup
Chopped thyme 1 teaspoon
Salt To taste
Pepper To taste
Manila clams (chopped) A few
Razor clams (sliced and shucked) ¼ pound
Black truffle oil 1 tablespoon
Black truffle 1
Instructions
In order to make clam stock, take a large pan and put it over medium flame. Add butter and when it melts, add leek, garlic, fennel and onion and sauté the mixture gently for three to four minutes. Next add thyme, peppercorns and bay leaf. Add white water and clams to the plan and pour cold water sufficient enough to immerse the clams completely. Cook for about ten minutes or until you can see that all the clams have opened. Discard the ones that did not open.
Take a fine mesh and strain the mixture through it after setting a bowl below. Keep the broth and clams aside. Now it is time to shuck the clams which is the process of removing clams from their shell. Chop the shucked clams finely and reserve them for chowder. Take broth and now discard the aromatics and vegetables and keep the broth aside.
For making clam chowder, take a large saucepan and add butter to it. Melt it over medium high flame. Once the butter melts, add celery root, potatoes and turnip to it and cook them until they are tender which will take about six to eight minutes. You just have to make sure that it does not turn brown. Now add to it the clam stock kept aside, thyme and cream. Add pepper and salt to taste. Allow the mixture to simmer until the veggies are soft which will take about three to five minutes.
Mix razor clams and manila clams and cook them for thirty seconds until they are just thoroughly heated through. Now take four soup bowls and divide the chowder equally among them. Garnish with shaved truffles and drizzle truffle oil on top.
Are you wondering what to do with the rest of the truffle oil? You can use it over scrambled eggs, mashed potatoes, cheesy risotto or any other dish to give it that authentic punch of earthiness. Get ready for a simply irresistible indulgence.