Clam (or Mussel) Chowder

Name: Clam (or Mussel) Chowder
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons butter; 4 sprigs fresh thyme or; 2 teaspoons dried; Salt; 2 large or 3 small russet or Yukon Gold potatoes; 1 large leek; 1 large carrot; 2 celery stalks; 2 cloves garlic; 3 pounds littleneck or other hard-shell clams, or 2 pounds mussels; 1 cup cream or milk; Pepper (optional)

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

Units Scale

Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
4 sprigs fresh thyme or
2 teaspoons dried
Salt
2 large or 3 small russet or Yukon Gold potatoes
1 large leek
1 large carrot
2 celery stalks
2 cloves garlic
3 pounds littleneck or other hard-shell clams, or 2 pounds mussels
1 cup cream or milk
Pepper (optional)

Instructions

Put 5 cups water and 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried, and sprinkle with salt.
Scrub the potatoes; peel them if you like. Cut them into small chunks and add them to the pot.
Trim the leek and slice the white and light green parts only. Rinse thoroughly in a colander under cold water, drain well, and add it to the pot.
Trim and peel the carrot; trim the celery. Cut them into small chunks and add them to the pot
along with the leek.
Peel and slice 2 cloves garlic and add to the pot.
When the liquid comes to a boil, adjust the heat so it bubbles gently but steadily. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are fork-tender but not yet breaking apart, 10 to 15 minutes.
Scrub the clams or scrub and debeard the mussels; discard any that don’t close when you tap them.
When the potatoes are tender, add the clams or mussels to the chowder. Pour in 1 cup cream or milk. Adjust the heat so the liquid bubbles gently but steadily. Cover and cook just until the clams or mussels open, 3 to 5 minutes.
When the shellfish have opened, stir the pot gently to combine everything. (You can discard those that remain tightly closed or gently pry them open with a butter knife to see if they release easily and look and smell normal.) Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a sprinkle of pepper if you’d like. Fish out and discard the thyme sprigs if you used them. Serve right away, with extra bowls on the table for the empty shells.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast