Love clam chowder as well as corn chowder.  It is just something that we normally never make.  In fact, I cannot even remember the last time I made it or had it.  I do know it was at at Spenger’s Fresh Fish Grotto and it was so long ago that is was not even part of the McCormick chain (did I completely age myself there?)  I saw this recipe in Bon Appetit and knew I had to make it.

This particular recipe for Clam and Corn Chowder is part of their fast and economical section.  It has a nice base of bacon fat, onions, carrots, thyme and rosemary, which I cooked until the veggies were slightly soft and the herbs were incredibly fragrant, as well, one can not go wrong with the smell of Applewood bacon fat cooking in your kitchen!  Next I added milk, chopped clams, some potatoes and corn and gently simmered for about 20 minutes until the potatoes were slightly tender.

I thought this chowder was very tasty – creamy from the milk, but not too heavy as it would have been using cream, smoky from the bacon, flavorful with the addition of fresh herbs and colorful by using the veggies.  It just needed a little extra salt when serving.  I really enjoyed it.

Lenny on the other hand said, “he wishes I had not told him it was Clam Corn Chowder, because, who eats clam chowder with corn in it let alone chowder with color?”  He thought it was a terrible example of clam chowder as one would expect it to be.  He is not saying that all clam chowder should be the same as Legal Seafood but it is a pretty high standard.  He wishes I would had told him it was just some soup I came up with.

Too bad it is his lunch tomorrow! 

Recipe