In battle of the bowl New England, not New York , prevails

It seems Eastern Iowans were rooting for the Patriots - not the Giants - on Sunday.

OK, that's not really true, but in a survey of clam chowder offerings at local restaurants, the creamy New England - the Patriot's home turf - variety topped the tomato-based style from Manhattan, which of course hales from the Giant's home state of New York. In fact, we were hard-pressed to find Manhattan clam chowder on any area restaurants' menus.

“Usually when I am in the mood for clam chowder I want a big bowl with a nice piece of bread as a meal,” says Ryan Buresh, owner of Prairie Soup Company, 425 Second St. SE, Skywalk Level in Cedar Rapids. “Usually Manhattan Chowder is a little more delicate, and I am less likely to want it as a main course.”

A creamy milk base versus a tomato base - the choice is easy for Suzette Zoll.

“I tend to prefer the cream-based soups,” says Zoll, owner of Boston Fish, 804 Fifth St. SE in Cedar Rapids. “It is definitely a comfort food.”

Technically, a clam chowder must just contain both broth and clams. But, popular opinion, and that of some culinary experts, feels differently.

The late James Beard, a cookbook author and accomplished chef for whom the James Beard Awards are named, called Manhattan clam chowder a “rather horrendous soup” that “ … resembles a vegetable soup that accidentally had some clams dumped into it.”

A Maine assemblyman even went as far as introducing a bill to the Legislature forbidding tomatoes in chowder. This was in February 1939.

In Cedar Rapids, Zoll isn't going to weigh in on the debate.

“I'm not going to say they're wrong, but it is strange,” she says of the Manhattan version, adding that Boston Fish has its own take on the Manhattan clam chowder with its Bouillabaisse.

“It's a tomato-based soup made with vegetables and shrimp, scallops, tuna, blue marlin, swordfish, mahi and wahoo,” Zoll says.

Prairie Soup Company has had Manhattan clam chowder on the menu, but Buresh says - with apologies to Eli Manning - New England is a customer favorite.

“We try and keep a nice variety of soups, so it would be tough to serve two clam based soups at the same time, and we might have a problem on our hands if we pulled the New England clam chowder from our menu,” Buresh says.

It should be noted, though, that there's one area in which Manhattan comes out on top. Nutrition-wise the Manhattan clam chowder is the better choice for health-conscious football fans. Not that healthy foods are often a top concern at most Super Bowl parties.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

4 ounces bacon

4 tablespoons butter

1 large onion, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

4 stalks celery, diced into 1/4-inch pieces

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2/3 cup flour

4 cups chicken stock

1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme

3 cups whole milk

1 pound potatoes, diced into 1/2-inch pieces

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce

15-20 oz whole canned clams

Cook bacon, drain off grease and dice.

Cook diced potatoes in boiling water for 5 minutes.

Drain clams, reserving clam liquid.

Saute onions and celery in butter until just soft. Add salt and pepper as vegetables cook.

Sprinkle vegetables with flour and cook for 1 minute.

Add chicken stock and reserved clam juices, scraping bottom of pan.

Bring to a boil, add milk and potatoes. Cook until potatoes are done.

Add cream, clams, thyme, Worcestershire and Tabasco.

Add bacon to soup, or use as garnish.

Taste and adjust salt and pepper if necessary.

From Prairie Soup Company

 

MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER

8 pounds quahog or large cherrystone clams, scrubbed and rinsed (opened clams discarded)

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch lengths

2 cups finely chopped onion

1 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

3/4 cup diced carrot

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 bay leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 1/4 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 3 cups)

1 cup chicken stock

3 cups peeled, seeded and chopped tomatoes or 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved

1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves

Freshly ground black pepper

Salt

In a large stockpot bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add clams, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, quickly stir clams well with a wooden spoon, and recover. Allow clams to cook 5 to 10 minutes longer (this will depend on the type and size of clams you are using), or until most of the clams are opened. Transfer clams to a large bowl or baking dish and strain broth through a fine-meshed sieve into a bowl. (You should have about 6 cups of clam broth. If not, add enough water to bring the volume up to 6 cups.) When clams are cool enough to handle, remove them from their shells and chop into 1/2-inch pieces. Set clams and broth aside.

In a large heavy pot add bacon and render until golden and crispy. Pour off all fat except 4 tablespoons. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and carrots and cook for 10 minutes, until vegetables are softened. Do not allow to color. Add garlic, bay leaves, oregano, thyme and crushed red pepper and cook an additional 2 minutes. Increase heat to high and add potatoes, reserved clam broth, and chicken stock and bring to a boil, covered. Cook for 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and the broth has thickened somewhat. Add tomatoes and continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and add reserved clams and parsley and season with pepper and salt, if necessary. Allow chowder to sit for up to 1 hour to allow flavors to meld, then reheat slowly over low heat if necessary. Do not allow to boil.

From Emeril Lagasse's “The Essence of Emeril.”