Clam Chowder Served in a Sourdough Bread Bowl

Well, it was another cloudy and cold day here in Dallas on Sunday, so David and I decided to make a hearty soup and Caesar salad for dinner.



Absolutely delicious although we prefer the New England version of clam chowder, this still was quite tasty.  This dish takes a little time to prepare, but is worth the effort.  This recipe came from the McCormick & Schmick Cookbook, so this is more a Seattle-style recipe.  I will post a New England Clam Chowder soon.

2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
4 strips bacon, chopped and fried
4 T margarine
¾ cup flour
¼ cup each carrots, onions, celery and bell pepper – all diced
1 quart water
1, 8-oz. bottle clam juice
1-1/2 lbs. canned or fresh clams, diced
1-1/2 lbs. canned or fresh baby shrimp
1 cup cream
½ tsp fresh thyme, chopped
¼ tsp sage
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
mini sourdough bread rounds
oyster or saltine crackers to serve with the chowder.

Blanch potatoes until barely tender, just a few minutes. Rinse under cold water, drain and set aside. Saute bacon, drain and set aside. Return bacon grease to pot and half of the margarine. Add flour and cook roux on low heat 3-4 min. Remove roux from pot and set aside. Add rest of margarine to pot and saute vegetables until soft. Return roux to pot, add water and clam juice. Raise heat to high and cook 6-8 min until thick. Add clams, bacon, potatoes, seasoning and cream. Simmer 5 min.


Cut the top 1/3 off the sourdough rounds and reserve for croutons. Hollow out the remaining bread round, leaving about 1-inch around the sides, and 1-1/2 to 2 inches on the bottom. Save 3 cups of the inside portion of the bread, chopped, for the soup. Set aside.


Cut the reserved top 1/3 portion of the bread rounds into a small dice, enough to equal 2 cups chopped. Place the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-low heat and cook until the bacon is browned and crisp and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Set aside for a garnish. Increase the heat to medium and add the 2 cups of diced bread. Cook, stirring, until the bread is golden and toasted, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to use as a garnish with the soup.

Place the hollowed out bread rounds onto plates and ladle the chowder into the hollowed out portion. Garnish the chowder with the toasted sourdough croutons, and the bacon. Serve immediately.