People who like clams generally speaking you’ll fall into one of two categories: clam lovers and clam likers. Clam lovers can be summarized in four words: the brinier the better. They love raw clams on the half shell, steamers dipped in clam broth and the clammiest clam dishes you can possibly make. If that describes […]
The first time I made this recipe I made it the way everyone makes a mussel bisque. That is, you steam the mussels, strain the broth, remove the mussel meats from the shells and set them aside. Then you make the bisque. The reserved mussel meats are added whole at the end. Well, I didn’t […]
A scallop bisque is a rarity in the bisque world. You don’t see it much, if ever, on restaurant menus, do you? Let’s face it, 99% of all bisques made in restaurants are lobster bisque. I’ll take an educated guess and say you’ve never tried a scallop bisque before. Me either until I made this […]
Ever have a salmon bisque? Of course not! Neither did I until I made it myself. A true bisque is typically made with shellfish because the shells make a deeply flavored stock. It’s the shellfish stock, not the meat, that’s truly the key to making a great tasting bisque. Fish stock, wonderful as it is […]
Welcome to Fearless Eating’s Ultimate Guide to New England Chowder! This is the most comprehensive post available online about New England’s most iconic meal. It includes not just 12 chowder recipes but also information on the history of chowder, essential ingredients, regional styles, and lots lots more. If you’re here just for the recipes, you […]
I grew up fishing for bluefish every summer on the Long Island Sound and it’s among my fondest childhood memories. Man do they put up a fight! But it’s only recently that I’ve learned to appreciate them for their culinary potential. Bluefish have a high oil content which means they’re fantastic eating when prepared fresh but […]
Contrary to what most residents of New England believe, tomatoes and clams can make a truly harmonious union in chowder. The problem is that they rarely do. As a native New Yorker, I have to admit that it’s pretty rare that I get excited over a Manhattan clam chowder. Most taste like an insipid tomato […]
Few New Englanders are aware that there’s another style of New England clam chowder that is a tomato-based red clam chowder. This may be shocking to most New Englanders who once tried to criminalize adding tomatoes to chowder. But in pockets around New England there’s exists a little-known Portuguese red clam chowder that bares little resemblance […]
The defining characteristic of Maine-style clam chowders is that traditionally they’re made with milk and never thickened with flour. In comparison to other types of New England chowders, the northernmost New England versions are on the thinner and brothier side of the chowder spectrum. This doesn’t mean a milky Maine clam chowder isn’t hearty and delicious! […]
If you have strong opinions about chowder you might freak out when you learn about a Long Island clam chowder. Judging from the cover pic you’re probably already a little alarmed. Yeah, it’s pink. I know, strange, isn’t it? We all know chowder allegiances run deep in the Northeast. Everyone claims the version they grew […]
When was the last time you saw a squid stew on a menu? Probably never, right? But if you did, would you order it? Probably not, right? Why risk spending a bunch of your hard-earned money on something you’ve never had before. It would take a little leap of faith to order a squid stew! […]
Scallop chowder makes a nice alternative to the ubiquitous clam chowder. In fact, you could use almost any type of seafood in a chowder. My favorite soup book of all time, aptly called The Soup Book by Louis P. DeGouy, was originally published in 1939 and has an awesome chowder chapter with recipes that include blackfish, […]