New England Clam Chowder – Dairy Free, Gluten Free
 
 
Recipe type: Soup, Entree
Serves: 4
Ingredients
If using fresh clams:
  • About 32 small fresh clams like littlenecks (about 3 lbs – we used two 16 count bags)
  • Water (about 2 ½ cups)
If using canned clams:
  • Three 6.5 oz cans chopped clams with liquid plus
  • 8 oz clam juice
  • 3 strips bacon, chopped
  • Olive oil (if needed)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 2 leeks
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery with leaves
  • 2 Tbsp sweet rice flour (also called glutinous rice flour, found at Asian markets)
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • 1 lb Yukon Gold potatoes, chopped (your choice whether you want them peeled or not)
  • ½ tsp dried marjoram (or thyme if you prefer)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp salt (omit if you have used canned clams)
  • freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 to 1 ½ cup almond milk (or other milk alternative like rice milk or soy milk)
  • 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • ¾ cup frozen corn thawed (optional)
  • Up to ¼ cup dry sherry (optional)
  • dash Tabasco or ½ - 1 tsp Sriracha or your favorite hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
If using fresh clams:
  1. Rinse and scrub them clean. Then submerge them in cold water and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour to allow them to expel any sand inside. Discard any broken clams or open clams that do not shut when touched.
  2. Put ½ inch of water (about 2 ½ cups) in a large pot. Put in a steamer basket if you have one and put the clams on top. Otherwise just put the clams in the pot. Cover, bring to a boil and steam the clams covered about 5 – 10 minutes just until they all open. Be careful if the heat’s too high the pot may boil over.
  3. Remove clams reserving liquid.
  4. Remove clams from shells and coarsely chop, discarding shells.
  5. Strain liquid through two layers of cheesecloth to remove grit and reserve.
(If using canned clams start here.)
  1. Cut root end and green tops off leeks and discard.
  2. Slice leeks in half lengthwise, remove outermost layer and discard.
  3. Run leeks under running water, separating layers to wash the sand out from between them.
  4. Slice leeks thinly.
  5. Cook bacon in a large pot until crisp.
  6. Remove bacon and leave about 2 Tbsp bacon fat in pan (add a little olive oil if you don’t have that much).
  7. Add chopped leek, onion and celery to pan and sauté over medium heat until tender, about 5 minutes.
  8. Add sweet rice flour and wine and stir about 30 seconds.
  9. Slowly at first to avoid lumps, stir in reserved cooking liquid from clams or clam juice/liquid from canned clams and scrape bottom of pot to loosen any browned bits.
  10. Add potatoes, marjoram, bay leaf, salt (if using) and pepper.
  11. Liquid should cover potatoes. If not add a little water and bring to a boil.
  12. Reduce heat and simmer about 15 minutes until potatoes are fork tender.
  13. Remove bay leaf and discard.
  14. Using an immersion blender, puree about ⅓ of the potato mixture or ladle out about ⅓ of the mixture into a blender, puree and then return to pot.
  15. Mix in 1 cup of the almond milk (or other non-dairy milk), reserved bacon and corn (if desired) and heat mixture back up to a simmer.
  16. Cook about 2 minutes.
  17. If it’s thicker than you like, stir in more almond milk.
  18. Stir in clams and parsley and remove from heat.
  19. Add sherry and/or hot sauce if desired.
Notes
If you use fresh clams:
Preparation Time: 40 minutes, Cook Time: 45 minutes, Total: 1 hour, 25 minutes

If you use canned clams:
Preparation Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 35 minutes, Total: 45 minutes
Recipe by Savory Nature at http://savorynature.com/2014/03/27/new-england-clam-chowder-dairy-free-gluten-free/