07.14Clam Chowder Recipe | The Four Seasons Seattle
This is the best clam chowder I have ever tasted. I love fresh, healthy food, so when you read that the last ingredients added to this recipe are fresh lemon juice and herbs (parsley, chervil, chives, tarragon, thyme and basil), you know you are in for a gastronomique treat.
Leave it to the Four Seasons to have a spectacular presentation in the evening for a traditional soup. Your choice to keep it simple or elegant, but take the time to try this amazing recipe.
YIELD: 6 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS
½ gallon heavy cream
1 qt clam juice (get from seafood purveyor)
4 pieces of bacon
½ cup onion, diced
½ cup celery, diced
½ cup carrots, diced
½ cup fennel, diced
½ cup cooked potato, diced
½ cup cooked celery root, diced
½ cup pancetta, diced
1 cup shucked manila clam meat (you can get this in cans at seafood purveyor) I double the clams
4 T. lemon juice
1/8 cup flour
1/8 cup parsley, chopped
1/8 cup chervil, chopped
1/8 cup chives, chopped
1/8 cup tarragon, chopped
1/8 cup thyme, chopped
1/8 cup basil, chopped
DIRECTIONS
Render bacon fat from slabs of bacon.
Saute vegetables in bacon fat until onions become translucent and vegetables sweat.
Dust with flour.
Add cream and clam juice. Bring liquid to simmer. Adjust liquid with water if too thick.
Add chopped crispy bacon, herbs and lemon juice.
Season with salt, pepper, paprika, and Tabasco.
Reduce by half.
INGREDIENTS FOR PUREED HERBS FOR GARNISH
1Tsp Parsley
1Tsp Basil
1Tsp Rosemary
1/2 cup cooked spinach
1 Cup Grapeseed oil
PREPARATION
Blanch herbs for 15 seconds and quickly cool in ice water.
Put in blender with 1/2 cup cooked spinach and 1 cup grape seed oil. Blend until pureed.
Strain through a coffee filter overnight.
Drizzle over soup before serving.
NOTE:
Kerry Sear, Director of Food and Beverage/Executive Chef at the Four Seasons Seattle, along with Sous Chef, Angela Song, were kind enough to share their collaborative recipe for clam chowder. Everyone raved and came back for seconds!
-The Gourmet Review