Foy’s Patriot Clam Chowder

Fellow cook Foy Allen Edelman of Raleigh, North Carolina, came up with this recipe for a Super Bowl cookoff held when the New England Patriots won in 2001. Participants were asked to prepare dishes representing the teams playing, which is a fun and different theme for a Super Bowl party. Foy says of the chowder, “It has a hearty aroma that sends my taste buds straight to the sea!”

 

SERVES 4 TO 6

 

½	cup (1 stick) unsalted butter (or 4 slices bacon or 2 to 3 ounces salt pork)
2	to 2½ cups peeled white potatoes cut into ½-inch cubes
½	cup chopped onions
1	large stalk celery, chopped
½	cup all-purpose flour
8	ounces all-natural clam juice
2	6.5-ounce cans minced or chopped clams, undrained
1	cup heavy cream
	Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
	Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish

1. In a 3-quart stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt the butter. If using bacon or salt pork, fry it over medium heat until crispy, then remove, let cool, chop, and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
2. Add the potatoes, onions, and celery to the pot. Sauté the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes over medium heat, stirring to prevent sticking.
3. When the onions are soft and the potatoes begin to brown, sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir it in for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the mixture gets very thick. Keep turning and stirring the mixture to completely blend in the flour.
4. Pour in the clam juice, stirring continuously. As soon as the mixture is well blended and smooth, add the clams with their juice. Fill one of the empty clam cans with water and add the water to the pot. Stir until the mixture is smooth and hot. Pour in the cream, stirring continuously. As soon as the mixture is well blended, turn the heat to very low. Do not let the cream overheat, or it will curdle. When the chowder is hot, season with salt and pepper.
5. Garnish individual servings with parsley and the reserved chopped bacon or salt pork, if using. Serve hot.

EXTRA POINTS You can prep the potatoes, onions, and celery the night before the tailgate and refrigerate them in zipper-top plastic bags. Then you can easily prepare the chowder on site over a gas burner.