Pat's Recipes

We took a wonderful trip to Freeport Maine to visit family, get away from the southern heat and enjoy the beauty of the coastline there. This recipe is as close as I have come to the kind of Clam Chowder we had at the Jameson Inn, where we had what we considered the best of the entire trip. We had Clam Chowder with practically every meal so that is saying something.

 3 cans minced clams
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
2 cups cubed potatoes
¾ cup butter
¾ cup of flour
1 quart of milk
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
Sliced green onions for garnish

• Drain the juices from the clams and place it into a skillet with the onions, celery, potatoes and season this combination with half of the salt. If the clam juice does not cover the vegetables then add cold water until they are covered. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender.

• Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in the flour until smooth. Whisk in the milk and stir it constantly until it is thickened but does not boil. Add the vegetables and juices in and bring up to heat.

• Add vinegar, the rest of salt and pepper. Stir in the clams just before serving. Be sure not to add them too early as they will get tough if cooked too long.

• Note: We use skim milk as we have become accustomed to it and whole milk or half and half is just too rich for our tastes. Any fat content milk that you like will work.