As spring slowly rolls into Maine, it often brings dense fog. Lots of dense fog (cue the sound of the foghorn).
Today is one of those days. So was yesterday, and I think a day or two before that. Right now, I can barely see down our driveway.
This is pure torture, as I long to be outside in the garden. It’s wet, chilly, and generally unpleasant weather. It will rain tonight and maybe tomorrow we will see some sun. Then it will rain again on Friday.
Complaining does no good. If it did, I’d be complaining like crazy. We cannot control the weather, but we can control how we respond to it.
For me, these foggy days are clam chowder days. Being in New England, clam chowder is practically a religion. In Maine, it’s in stiff competition with our beloved lobster rolls when it comes to regional fare.
But on a good, foggy, Maine day, clam chowder is the clear winner. A steaming bowl of rich, savory goodness warms the heart and soul and makes the fog almost worth it (almost).
While we love both variations of clam chowder, New England and Manhattan, in these parts, it’s the New England version that rules.
And when you think about it, the Manhattan version isn’t really a chowder. It’s a soup. What’s the difference? Chowders are typically thick and creamy, while soups are thinner and brothier. There are other distinguishing characteristics, but that’s the main one.
Some New England clam chowders are really thick (like stand-a-spoon-up-in-it thick). Others are fairly thin – just a step above a soup. We like ours somewhere in the middle. It’s got to be rich and creamy and at least coat the back of your spoon. But I don’t want it so thick I have to scoop it out of the bowl.
Our go-to recipe for a quick chowder uses canned, minced clams and no bacon or salt pork. When we have more time, we’ll buy wild, locally-harvested clams and steam and chop them at home. (I’ll share our exact clam chowder recipe in a future post, but this one is pretty close.)
As for the bacon/salt pork, that’s a personal decision. Most folks will definitely use it. It is delicious, and hubby would prefer it, but in the spirit of reducing our meat consumption, it’s a pass for us.
In addition to the clams and bacon/salt pork, most chowder recipes contain similar ingredients: potatoes, onion, celery, garlic, butter, claim juice, water, cream, salt and pepper. Some will add carrots. Chopped parsley is a traditional garnish. Thyme is often included in the aromatics.
Once you have a basic recipe you like, taking time to experiment with seasonings and garnishes, as well as consistency (making it thicker or thinner) can be fun.
Our basic version is rich and flavorful and perfect on one of these chilly, foggy, spring days. Garnished with a bit of fresh minced parsley for color and oyster crackers (a must-have), it’s close-your-eyes-and-smile good.
And as I come to the end of this post, that heavy fog is beginning to lift just a bit. The heavens must be parting the clouds, peering down in search of a bowl of this pure magic.
If I didn’t have a pot of Zuppa Toscana already made up, I’d be in the kitchen right now making clam chowder, like a true Mainer. Which I’m not, because I wasn’t born here and don’t have five generations of family in the ground here. At least that’s what we’ve been told it takes to be considered an official Mainer.
Official or not, we will still make and enjoy delicious clam chowder on foggy and sunny days alike.
But we’ll know that it tastes just a bit better when we’re surrounded by a heavy bank of the state’s famous gray mist.