Minorcan Clam Chowder

Name: Minorcan Clam Chowder
Yield: Serves 8
Cuisine: Spain
Ingredients: 2 oz. salt pork, finely chopped; 1 datil or habanero chile, stemmed and finely chopped; 1 tsp. dried basil; Crackers, for serving (optional); 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 1½ lb. hard-shell clams, such as littleneck or cherrystone, scrubbed; 1 cup bottled clam juice; 3 cups fish stock; 1 bay leaf; ½ tsp. dried oregano; 1 lb. waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into ½″ pieces; ½ tsp. dried marjoram; 2 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme; 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped; 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil; 3 plum tomatoes, chopped; 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes, crushed by hand

Preparation info

Serves
8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Soups and Stews

By The Editors of Saveur

Published 2015

About

Datil chiles are unique to St. Augustine, Florida, where a large Minorcan population has been living since their original immigration there in the late 1700s. The chiles add heat and tang to this tomato-based clam chowder, but habaneros, which have a similar aromatic flavor, are a good alternative.

Ingredients

1 cup bottled clam juice
1½ lb. hard-shell clams, such as littleneck or cherrystone, scrubbed

Americas
Europe
Spain
United States
Florida
Minorca
Mediterranean
Soup
Gluten-free

Method

Bring clam juice to a boil in a 6-qt. saucepan over medium-high. Add clams and cook, covered, until shells open, 1–2 minutes. Transfer clams to a bowl and discard shells; reserve juice in another bowl. Add pork and oil to pan and cook over medium-high until pork is crisp, about 3 minutes. Add thyme, basil, marjoram, oregano, garlic, bay leaf, chile, bell pepper, and onion and cook until golden,