Description:

This was one of the star chowders at Bernstein's at Fisherman's Wharf, SF, CA!

Source:

Peek

Serves/Makes:6 or more

Ingredients

• 1 quart (950 ml) shucked clams
• 4 cups (950 ml) potatoes, cut in cubes
• 1 one-half-inch cube of salt pork fat
• 1 sliced onion
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) flour
• 1 tsp (5 ml) salt
• 1/8 tsp (1 ml) pepper
• 4 tbsp (60 ml) butter
• 4 cups (950 ml) scaled milk
• 8 crackers

Preparation

• Clean clams, using 1 cup (225 ml) cold water; drain, reserve liquid, heat it to the boiling point and strain.
• Chop hard part of clams very fine.
• Cut pork fat into small pieces and fry; add onions, fry 5 minutes, and strain into stew pan.
• Parboil potatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain and put layer of potatoes on bottom of stew pan. Add chopped clams, sprinkle with salt, pepper and generously with flour.
• Add remaining potatoes, again sprinkle with salt, pepper, and flour.
• Add 1-1/2 cups (350 ml) boiling water. Cook 10 minutes, add milk, soft part of clams, and 3 tbsp (45 ml) butter.
• Boil 3 minutes and add crackers (split and soaked in enough cold milk to moisten).
• Reheat clam water to boiling point and thicken with 1 tbsp (15 ml) butter and flour cooked together; add to chowder just before serving.
• Note: The clam water has a tendency to cause the milk to curdle, hence it must be added last.

Comments

Note from submitter/typist: READ this recipe throroughly before making this recipe. There are many divided uses and the processes are *key* to this recipe resulting in a good product. Also, the crackers listed are for soda crackers, and "splitting" them refers to the old big squares that had to be "split" into quarters. Now days, we get sleeves of them already split.. so adjust accordingly.

SERVES 6-10.. if serving as a course in a large dinner, you will have enough for 10. If you are using this as an entree, you will have enough for 6 at most.

This recipe came directly typed from: "Fisherman's Wharf Cookbook" by Barbara Lawrence 1971 Nitty Gritty Productions, Concord, CA ISBN: 0-911954-13-9 Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 79-30867