Clam chowder
Clam chowder is any of several chowders containing clams and broth. Along with the clams, potato chunks are common, as are onions, which are occasionally sauteed in the drippings from salt pork. Other vegetables are uncommon, but small carrot strips might occasionally be added, primarily for color. A garnish of parsley serves the same purpose. Bay leaves are also sometimes used as a garnish and flavoring.
New England Clam Chowder
One point of view contends that New England clam chowder has become creamier[citation needed] (often thickened with roux) over the years as a result of tourism in New England[citation needed], whereas the traditional recipe calls for a soupier chowder[citation needed], with only cream[citation needed] and no added thickening agents[citation needed]. Supposedly tourists[citation needed], sometimes squeamish of clams[citation needed] and seafood[citation needed], prefer the creamier chowder[citation needed]. At one time, some restaurants served clear chowder[citation needed], and let customers add cream to taste[citation needed], but that practice is very rare today[citation needed]. Adding tomatoes to clam chowder was shunned, to the point that a 1939 bill making tomatoes in clam chowder illegal was introduced in the Maine legislature.[1]
Manhattan Clam Chowder
Manhattan clam chowder has clear broth, plus tomato for red color and flavor. In the 1890s, this chowder was called "Coney Island clam chowder" and "Fulton Fish Market clam chowder." The name "Manhattan clam chowder" became attached in the early 1900s. Restaurants typically serve New England or Manhattan chowder, but not both.
The idea for Manhattan clam chowder was established in Rhode Island, in Central Falls, where a large group of Portuguese immigrants who were keen on chowder but short on cream added a common ingredient from their culture: tomatoes. Any restaurant in northern Rhode Island will sell both red and white chowders, while the southern coast favors clear and white chowders. Often they are served alongside clam cakes.
Rhode Island Clam Chowder
Rhode Island clam chowder has clear broth. Though less popular than the other two, clear chowders are still served, especially at long-established New England restaurants and hotels, such as those on Block Island, and on the south coast of the state, where tourists favor white chowders and natives prefer the clear. Northern Rhode Islanders prefer red and white, finding that shipped clams make horrible clear chowder if the establishment is more than 10 minutes from the source.
Other Chowder Variations
Some restaurants also serve their own unique clam chowders that do not fall into any of these three types. Clam chowder is usually served with saltine crackers or small, hexagonal oyster crackers. Throughout the United States, creamy New England-style clam chowder is sometimes served in sourdough bread bowls, especially in San Francisco where sourdough is popular with tourists and has been considered a signature dish since 1849.[2] [3]
Fish chowder is a similar to clam chowder except that shredded fish, often cod, is substituted for the clams. It is made with cream, fish, corn and sometimes onions.
See also
External links
- Manhattan Clam Chowder Coney Island/Fulton Market/Manhattan Clam Chowder by food researcher Barry Popik.