Adding tomatoes and other vegetables to chowder is considered heresy in New England, but this version is popular from the Mid-Atlantic states and further south. While named for New York, legend has it that the chowder was actually developed by the Portuguese settlers in Rhode Island in the late eighteenth century.
Soup:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 green or red bell pepper, seeds and ribs removed, and chopped
2 celery ribs, sliced
2 medium red potatoes, cut into 1/3-inch dice
1 pint fresh minced clams, drained, with juice reserved
2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, preferably petite diced, undrained
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Fritters:
1 large egg
3/4 cup whole milk
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
11/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 scallions, white parts only, finely chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 cups vegetable oil for frying
1. For soup, drain clams in a sieve over a bowl, reserving juice in the bowl. Press down with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible from clams. Refrigerate clams until ready to use.
2. Heat oil in a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Add potatoes, juice from fresh clams, bottled clam juice, tomatoes, parsley, and thyme to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until potatoes are tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep hot.
3. While vegetables simmer, make clam fritters. Combine egg and milk in a mixing bowl, and whisk well. Add flour and baking powder, and whisk well. Stir in reserved clams and scallions, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Preheat the oven to 150°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat oil in a deep-sided saucepan over medium-high heat to a temperature of 375°F. Drop fritter batter by 1–tablespoon amounts into hot oil, and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown, turning as necessary with a slotted spoon. Remove fritters, and drain on paper towel-lined baking sheet. Place fritters in the oven, and repeat until all batter is fried.
5. To serve, ladle soup into bowls, and top each serving with fritters.
Note: The soup can be made up to 2 days in advance and refrigerated, tightly covered. Reheat it over low heat, covered. Do not make fritters until just before serving.