I thought about this chowder for a long time and I finally decided to make it. The recipe below was originally from the Internet, and I substantially modified it. It is now an outstanding recipe! Thus, I decided to also make it a teaching recipe, so you get the maximum benefit and a great chowder.
One thing I really like about Manhattan Clam Chowder is that it is a tomato based broth type of chowder. I contrast that with creamy New England Clam Chowder, which I love. Both types of chowder are great and completely different from each other. One is creamy and rich, the other savory and spicy.
I decided to add a wild card ingredient ... a 2 oz. can of anchovy filets, drained (optional). It is a Umami bomb, to quote the great chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt, which means it will impart great flavor to the chowder without being an identifiable ingredient at serving time.
I hope you make this chowder. You will be certain to please your friends and family, not to mention yourself. As is often the case, soups and chowders like this one are better the second day, after the flavors have had time to blend.
Here are two extra recommendations to make your chowder memorable:
1) Be careful about what brand of chopped clams in broth you purchase. There is a large difference in the quantity of chopped clams, with the worse brands making up the difference with broth. I found SeaWatch® chopped clams and broth to have the best quality and amount of chopped clams.
2) The chowder smoothness is enhanced by adding 1/4 cup of cornstarch to slightly thicken the chowder as the last step near the end of cooking. Simply take one cup of broth during cooking and let it cool a bit ... then add 1/4 cup of cornstarch gradually with mixing until the contents are well mixed. Finally, add that mixture (after additional stirring) to the pot of chowder gradually with a lot of stirring to mix it in, near the end of the chowder cooking period.
Ingredients: (makes about six quarts of chowder, enough for twelve adult servings)
4 thick slices of dry cured hickory smoked bacon (or 6 slices of regular [water cured] bacon)
2 oz. can of anchovy filets, drained (optional, but a fine addition to amplify the chowder flavor)
1 medium size onion, diced
2 medium size carrots, peeled and diced
2 large stalks of celery, diced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of sea salt
2 teaspoons of Sriracha Sauce (this is an important flavoring ingredient ... don't skip it)
1, 15 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
1 tablespoon of dried oregano
2 bay leaves
2 very large Russet potatoes, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices crosswise, then rinsed with cold water and drained in a colander
All of the clam broth from a 51 ounce can of SeaWatch® chopped ocean clams and broth (about 3 cups of broth)
1 quart of chicken broth
28 ounce can of peeled plum tomatoes with juice, chopped
All of the chopped clams from a 51 ounce can of SeaWatch® chopped ocean clams in broth
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
A box of oyster crackers
Directions:
If you plan to serve the chowder immediately after making it, put a large soup tureen and the individual serving bowls you plan to use into a 180 degrees F warming oven.
Pour the broth from the can of chopped clams and broth into a one quart measuring cup. Put the chopped clams into a two quart bowl. If the clam pieces are larger than 1/2" long, then process all the ones that are larger in a blender, along with a cup of the clam broth, for one minute. Then process them through a sieve, collecting the clam juice. Put the juice back into the one quart measuring cup. Put the chopped, blended clam pieces into the two quart bowl. Set them aside.
Let the broth settle for five minutes, then decant the broth into a one quart bowl, leaving the last ounce of broth (with any sand or other material) in the one quart measuring cup. Discard that last ounce. Set the bowl of clam broth aside.
Heat a two gallon pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry it, turning each slice over about once a minute, just until it is crisp.
Remove the bacon slices from the pot and place them on a paper towel.
Add the (optional) anchovy filets to the pot and stir to break them up and combine them with the melted bacon fat.
When the bacon is cool, break it up into small pieces and set them aside on a paper towel.
Add the diced onions, carrots and celery to the pot. Add one half teaspoon of black pepper. Add one teaspoon of sea salt. Stir to mix well with the anchovies and bacon fat.
Cover the pot with a lid and cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables are tender/translucent.
Add the minced garlic, the thyme, the oregano and the bay leaves and stir to mix them in with the diced vegetables, then cook for two minutes.
Put the tomato sauce, Sriracha sauce, clam broth, chicken broth and sliced potatoes into the pot. Stir to combine all of the ingredients. Put the lid on the pot and bring the mixture to a low boil on medium high heat.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes on low heat or just until the potatoes are tender.
Stir in the chopped plum tomatoes and juice, and the chopped clams.
Put one cup of the chowder broth into a pint or quart bowl and gradually add 1/4 cup of cornstarch with stirring. Mix it well until it is uniform.
Cover the pot with the lid and heat the chowder on medium high heat to a low boil and then simmer it on low heat for 10 more minutes. Stir in the reserved bacon pieces.
Stir the broth and cornstarch mixture again and then gradually add it to the pot of chowder while stirring the chowder with a large spoon. Let the chowder cook at a low boil for three minutes.
Remove the pot of Manhattan clam chowder from the heat, keeping the lid on the pot.
If you plan to eat right away then follow the remainder of the directions now. Otherwise, keep the lid on the pot and let the contents cool and rest overnight, then reheat the chowder the next day to serving temperature, with stirring, when you are ready to eat. Ladle it into guest serving bowls as needed, top it with chopped parsley, and serve it with oyster crackers.
But if you just can't wait to eat the chowder ...
Pour the chowder into the pre-warmed soup tureen and top it with the chopped parsley. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
Serve the chowder, dispensing it into the pre-warmed individual serving bowls.
Let each guest season their individual serving of the Manhattan clam chowder with salt and pepper and perhaps some additional Sriracha sauce, to taste.
Provide a serving bowl of oyster crackers.
Enjoy!