DIY Dinners

[Mel]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6mI708yWc

[RadicalModerate]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C-6mI708yWc

Granny Nellies is easier. Not quicker. Simply easier.

[ctchandler]

I enjoy good clam chowder and have found that Panera Bread serves it on Friday's. Sam's also sells it in two twenty ounce containers, but sometimes they have have it and sometimes they don't. My late wife and I experimented with making it and it didn't turn out very well. So, I googled Panera Bread clam chowder and found a "copycat" recipe which I will pass on here. My problem is, what kind of potatoes do I use, where do I buy clam broth and clam base, and are canned sea clams fine or should I go to Gulfport and purchase fresh/frozen clams?
Thanks,
C. T.

Panera New England Clam Chowder Ingredients
2 cups potatoes[3]
1/4 cup clam broth
1/2 cup clam juice
1 tablespoon clam base
1 cup water
1 cup cream [4]
2 cups onion[5]
2 cups sea clams
1 teaspoon butter
1/8 cup olive oil[6]
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
Panera New England Clam Chowder Recipe
Slice potatoes and onions.
Place sufficient olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven to lightly cover the surface.[7]
Saute onions until they become translucent.
Add water, clam broth, clam juice, clam base, potatoes, onions, sugar and salt to the pot.
Bring to a boil, then lower temperature to simmer the soup.
Cook until the potatoes are tender.
Mash potatoes slightly to thicken broth.
Add sea clams, garlic powder and cream to the pot.
Stir until all ingredients are well blended.
Cook for approximately 10 minutes.
Add butter to the soup, then turn off the heat.
Stir to blend butter into the soup.
Serve soup hot along with fresh bread.
- See more at: How to Make Panera New England Clam Chowder - Copycat Recipe Guide

[RadicalModerate]

Most of the fish based ingredients can be obtained at most local grocery stores including some highlighting the fact that they are Asian (in terms of the fish additions). The mystery ingredients only make the special soup more lovable. (Soup is Soup. The definitive factor is how much "Love" one wishes to add to the dish.) We just enjoyed some leftover Easter Ham and Noodle Soup (the ham was Cure 81 from Homeland . . . the Noodles were some leftover Paparadelli from Gourmet Gallery. The rest of the stuff was from the fridge and the pantry.)

I suppose that the only real question I would have, regarding the Panera Recipe for Clam Chowder would be to use Sea Clams . . . and it affords me the opportunity to ask: Do Land Dwelling Clams actually exist? If so, I'd bet they are rare and expensive. =)

[ctchandler]

RM,
Sea clams and ocean clams. Ocean clams are from deep Atlantic water up to 200 feet and sea clams are Atlantic surf clams from relatively shallow water 30-120 feet. There are other differences but too long to post. I have only found clam juice so far, but I'm going to Whole Foods Market and Gulfport Seafood today to try and find the broth and base.
C. T.

[kevinpate]

Order via Amazon.com if you can order small enough quantities. That or eat lots more chowder

[ctchandler]

Order via Amazon.com if you can order small enough quantities. That or eat lots more chowder

Kevin,
Now that I have been to Whole Foods and Gulfport with no luck, I'm going to give Super Cao Nguyen a try. If no luck there, Amazon, here I come. I had looked on Amazon but I preferred to buy it locally. Actually, I plan on quadrupling the recipe and freezing it in 8 ounce containers. Just about right for a "Soup and Salad" meal.
C. T.

[ctchandler]

Super Cao Nguyen didn't have anything I needed and searching the internet hasn't turned up much. I did find clam base but no clam broth, just suggestions for a substitute. I did find recipes for clam broth but it's a little out of my league. Oh well, I will have to try clam chowder with some alternatives.
C. T.

[Martin]

correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure clam broth and clam juice are interchangeable. -M

[ctchandler]

correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure clam broth and clam juice are interchangeable. -M

Martin,
Then why would the Panera recipe for clam chowder call for 1/4 cup clam broth, 1/2 cup clam juice, and 1 tablespoon clam base? So, I don't believe they are interchangeable.
C. T.

[ctchandler]

correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure clam broth and clam juice are interchangeable. -M

Martin,
And I google it and get mixed answers. Some recipes imply that they are interchangeable and others don't. Since I'm trying to duplicate Panera's clam chowder, I hate to vary the recipe. I have found ways of making clam broth, but it's not a simple process for me. I'm not a good cook.
C. T.

[Martin]

ahh... i missed that part of the recipe. my guess is that if you were to buy fresh/frozen clams and cook them yourself, then the cooking water would be the broth you would use. if you're using canned clams, then i'd just substitute clam juice for the clam stock... in the whole recipe, it's only a quarter of a cup. if you're concerned about overpowering the flavor of the soup, i'd substite the 'clam broth' for chicken or vegetable broth and add some additional clam base if the result doesn't have enough of a seafood taste for your preference. another option would be to make the 1/4 cup of 'clam broth ' out of a 50/50 mixture of clam juice and water.

i find that copycat recipe sites usually have recipes posted by random users and therefore i usually take the ingredients/process with a grain of salt (no pun intended) compared to what i find in a traditional cookbook or recipe site. i still think that usually clam juice and broth are pretty much interchangeable... check out this pic i found through google:

http://www.delallo.com/files/DLClamJ...Broth14ozD.jpg

-M

[ctchandler]

Martin,
Thanks, I'm going to give up on finding broth, and substitute. It wasn't so much that I was concerned about overpowering anything, but I really enjoy Panera's chowder and wanted to duplicate it. I think I'll just move on and do the best I can with your suggestions but try to stay as close to the recipe as possible. It shouldn't be too much different. I thought (but may be wrong) that the copycat recipes were like the old Recipe Detective, Gloria Pitzer. She did a lot of research and actually sold books with her version of famous/popular recipes and they turned out really good. I might have to see if she's still around. Google, here I come!
C. T.

[kevinpate]

Maybe the nice folks at Panera, assuming it isn't all in #10 cans or larger containers, might sell you some?

[ctchandler]

Maybe the nice folks at Panera, assuming it isn't all in #10 cans or larger containers, might sell you some?

Kevin,
Good point, they do, and I have purchased it, but they sell it as a meal and it's fairly pricey. I have been buying it at Sam's at a really good price, but it's not always available, and with Sam's, you can't count on it coming back. Also, the Mid/Del Sam's doesn't carry it at all. It's not that difficult to make, just finding the ingredients has been a problem, but Martin showed me that clam broth and clam juice are one and the same, so now, all I have to do is order clam base on the internet and I think I will be ready to go. It freezes really well, so I want to make a large amount and pour it into 8 ounce containers for freezing.
C. T.