Friday means Chowder

You know I often feel when it is Friday it means chowder? Clam chowder is usually on a lot of menus on Fridays. Why? Well who knows. But, with a full bow to Wikipedia I am posting their entry on chowder here and by full disclosure I take no credit, but it sure is nice to get some answers on chowder and may be useful to you as well:

Chowder is any of a variety of soups, enriched with salt pork fatback and thickened with flour or more traditionally with crushed ship biscuit or saltine crackers, and milk. To some people, it means clam chowder, made with cream or milk in most places, or with tomato as "Manhattan clam chowder." Corn chowder is a thick soup filled with whole corn (maize) kernels.

The most accepted etymology for the word chowder comes from the cooking pot in which it is cooked, known in French as a chaudière, from the Latin caldaria (akin to English cauldron). The word "chowder" is a New England word that came from Newfoundland, where Breton fishermen—who would throw portions of the day's catch and other available foods into a large pot—introduced the word, and perhaps the fish soup itself (compare bouillabaisse). Another possible origin for the word chowder is derived from the Old English "jowter", which means fishmonger (one who peddles fish).

Fish chowder, along with corn and clam chowder, continues to enjoy popularity in New England and Atlantic Canada. Seafood chowder is a traditional and popular dish in Ireland. Sometimes the freshest clam chowder can have a gritty consistency due to small particles of sand still present in the clams at the time of preparation.

So there you have it. Mind you there is a whole lot more on chowder in Wikipedia, but I don't think we need to go too terribly long on about it. OK, so I am going to let you know that I prefer Boston style and like Oyster Crackers over saltines. No, I think that is about all I have to say on the subject but my good manners would not let me close without listing at least one recipe. So here you go, enjoy and happy Friday!

Cindy's Awesome Clam Chowder!

Ingredients:
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
5 unpeeled potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
salt and pepper to taste
2 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams with juice
2 (1.8 ounce) packages dry leek soup mix
1 quart half-and-half

Directions: (Keep in mind 15 minutes to prep & 40 minutes to cook)

Place the bacon in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisped and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot. Set the bacon aside. Stir the potatoes and carrots into the bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Pour the juice from the clams into the pot, and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Gently stir the leek soup mix into the potatoes until no lumps of soup remain. Stir in the clams, reserved bacon, and half-and-half cream. Cook and stir until the chowder returns to a simmer and thickens, about 10 minutes more.