(no subject)
I decided to make clam chowder yesterday in celebration of *thoroughly* cleaning my kitchen for the first time in...well, you don't want to know. And if you do know...well, shutthefuckup.
When I was shopping for ingredients the other day, I bought those Yukon gold potatoes. I just like them better than the standard potatoes. I gave a moment's thought to presentation & thought that maybe it would look weird to have yellow potatoes in clam chowder, but I don't really care when it's just for me. But when it came time to cook last night, a little voice said "this is not regular clam chowder, this is golden clam chowder." So I let the onions & garlic brown a little in the butter & let the flour for the roux turn just slightly brown before adding some Australian riesling and water (I'd have used clam juice & chicken stock, but I forgot to buy any). Then the yellow potatoes. A dash each of nutmeg, ginger and turmeric. Then the half & half and the clams. So the soup as a whole ended up being almost the precise shade of yellow of the potatoes themselves.
The difference is subtle, but it's there. There's just a touch of extra caramel-y sweetness, which I think always compliments seafood. Next time it will be saffron instead of turmeric. And chicken stock with clam juice. Maybe some Jamaican yellow yams? Ok, now that's just crazy talk.
Maybe since there's New England clam chowder and Manhattan clam chowder, I could call this Akron Clam Chowder. Hmmm...no. Not a pleasant association. Besides, last time I tried that -- dubbing a Manhattan with a slice of lemon instead of a cherry a "Cleveland" since that's where I was when the bartender ran out of cherries -- it really didn't catch on. Can't wait to do "Cthulu Clam Chowder" with purple potatoes, a dash of squid ink, and calamari. Ok, reason #93 that I shouldn't get out of bed before 10 am.
When I was shopping for ingredients the other day, I bought those Yukon gold potatoes. I just like them better than the standard potatoes. I gave a moment's thought to presentation & thought that maybe it would look weird to have yellow potatoes in clam chowder, but I don't really care when it's just for me. But when it came time to cook last night, a little voice said "this is not regular clam chowder, this is golden clam chowder." So I let the onions & garlic brown a little in the butter & let the flour for the roux turn just slightly brown before adding some Australian riesling and water (I'd have used clam juice & chicken stock, but I forgot to buy any). Then the yellow potatoes. A dash each of nutmeg, ginger and turmeric. Then the half & half and the clams. So the soup as a whole ended up being almost the precise shade of yellow of the potatoes themselves.
The difference is subtle, but it's there. There's just a touch of extra caramel-y sweetness, which I think always compliments seafood. Next time it will be saffron instead of turmeric. And chicken stock with clam juice. Maybe some Jamaican yellow yams? Ok, now that's just crazy talk.
Maybe since there's New England clam chowder and Manhattan clam chowder, I could call this Akron Clam Chowder. Hmmm...no. Not a pleasant association. Besides, last time I tried that -- dubbing a Manhattan with a slice of lemon instead of a cherry a "Cleveland" since that's where I was when the bartender ran out of cherries -- it really didn't catch on. Can't wait to do "Cthulu Clam Chowder" with purple potatoes, a dash of squid ink, and calamari. Ok, reason #93 that I shouldn't get out of bed before 10 am.