Chow on Some Chowda: Clam Chowder in Bread Bowls

Clam Chowder in Bread Bowls

Mmmm...clams.

The weather in DC needs to wake the heck up and realize that it is MARCH
and not DECEMBER. After very little snow in November and December, we have been hammered in late February and so far in March. It is so not cool when the weather is 65 degrees and sunny and gorgeous (hence my blogging about grilling) then plummeting into the low 30s and absolutely dumping snow. I had to dig my car out of 6 inches of snow on the windshield, and Lord knows how much that the snow plow pushed over the doors. Happy St. Patty's to me. Since it was getting all cold again, I decided I needed some soup of some kind to warm my rapidly re-freezing soul. Seriously, weather figure it out.

I can't claim that I am a chowder expert. In fact, I pronounce the "R" in "chowder," so I don't even have that going for me. Apparently it tastes better if you buy it from someone who says "chowda." These are also the people who say "cah" instead of "car" and "cawfee" instead of "coffee." God bless the Northeast. Anyway, I found out that cans of clams are super cheap, so I wanted to at least try my hand at clam chowder. I adapted my recipe from AllRecipes.com, added extra creaminess, and bacon, because obviously everything is better with bacon. If the chowder is too creamy for you, add 2 cups skim milk instead of the half and half.

Everyone knows that soup tastes better if it comes in an edible bread bowl. I mean, duh. It adds carbs, and I have already established how much I love carbs. I love sourdough bread bowls at restaurants, and I figured they can't be that hard. And they aren't. Except for the sourdough part. Apparently you need sourdough starter? Yeah, couldn't find that, so I decided to go with regular every day boring bread bowls. But they are still bread bowls and therefore awesome. I used AllRecipes.com again, with minor changes. Use the bowls for chowder, chili, soup, dips, whatever. They will definitely impress your guests, especially if you call it chowda instead of chowder.


Clam Chowder in Bread Bowls

Bread Bowl
1 packet active yeast, (2 1/4 tsp)
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 tbl sugar
1 tbl olive oil
1 tsp salt
3 1/2 cups flour

Clam Chowder
4 pieces of bacon
1 medium onion, chopped
3 6.5oz cans chopped clams 
2 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 pint half and half
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tbl red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
parsley for garnish
 
Make the bread bowl (makes two big ones, or four small ones)
Combine yeast, warm water and sugar in a large bowl. Allow yeast to proof until foamy, about 10 min. Add olive oil, salt, and 3/12 cups flour. Knead until well combined and springy, about 8 min. Allow to rise for 45 min. Split risen dough in two or four balls. Allow to rise for another 30 min. Preheat oven to 400 deg F. Bake risen bread for 30 min. Allow to cool for 10 min, then cut a hole in the top and scoop out some of the bread inside to form a bowl.

Make the chowder
 Fry bacon in a large skillet until brown. Crumble, and set bacon aside. Add chopped onion to bacon grease and saute until onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Drain fluid from the clams, and add all the clam juice to the skillet with the onions. Add cubes of potato to the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cover, and simmer until all potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.

While potatoes are simmering, melt butter in a large pot. Add flour, stirring constantly. Slowly whisk in half and half and whipping cream. Simmer until thickened. Add potato and clam juice mixture to the pot. Allow to simmer and thicken. Add clams and crumbled bacon to the cream mixture. Stir in red wine vinegar, salt and pepper.

Serve chowder in bread bowls, garnish with parsley.