Clam Chowder

Whether you call it chowder or chowdah, it's still a great thing. I can imagine some old salty dog coming back to port all cold, wet and tired. He stands by the fire to warm his bones but needs something to warm him up inside. Clam chowder to the rescue, it does a body good.

Ok then, what is a chowder? Michael Ruhlman writes in his book, "The Elements of Cooking" that " A type of soup that can also be thought of as a method of preperation. Traditionally, chowders are based on seafood and potatoes, contain salt pork for flavoring, and are packed with ingredients, almost like a stew."

To me, clam chowder is the ultimate comfort food. It has the warming property of a good soup, the texture and feel of a stew and has wonderful flavors. Anything that starts out with salt pork or bacon, can't be bad. I even cook it in the summer time just because I have a craving clam chowder. My wife and youngest son love it as well. I will confess I don't like the oyster crackers in my chowder, I would rather spoon it onto a saltine and enjoy it that way.

Needless to say, but soups have been around probably since man started eating. I have a bit of research for this article. The are some that believe that the word chowder comes from the Latin word calderia. Calderia meant a place for warming things. And then calderia evolved into "cooking pot." Then came cauldron and in French, chaudiere. Some thing the word chowder came from an English word jowter,which meant a fish monger.

The fishing villages of old would have a large cauldron and each fisherman would put part of his catch in the cauldron, hence fish stew or chowder. The Native Americans were already enjoy clams and chowders long before Europeans landed. It has been documented that Native Americans enjoyed clams and oysters so much that there piles of shells 10 foot high in some places.

Living in the Midwest, to me chowder is Boston or New England clam chowder, out East is another story. There are several varieties being made and each area claims to have the best clam chowder.

Boston/New England clam chowder

You have milk or cream, potatoes, onions, bacon or salt pork, and clams.

Manhattan

This chowder has a clear broth and tomatoes.

Rhode Island

This version has a clear broth. Some areas in Rhode Island serve a red chowder that has tomato broth as its base.

Outer Banks

This chowder has a clear broth, along with bacon, potatoes and onion.