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leeks water littlenecks oysters bacon unsalted butter onion celery Turkish russet white wine clam juice heavy cream salt black pepper Bay seasoning cayenne parsley
Viewed: 66 - Published at: 3 years agoIngredients
- 3 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only), quartered lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices
- 1 cup water
- 40 small (2-inch) hard-shelled clams (4 pounds) such as littlenecks, scrubbed well
- 30 medium or large oysters, shucked and liquor reserved
- 3 bacon slices, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-wide strips
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 5 celery ribs, cut into 1/3-inch dice
- 1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
- 2 pounds russet (baking) potatoes (4 medium)
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 1/2 cups bottled clam juice or water
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
Method
- Wash leeks well in a bowl of cold water, then lift out and drain well.
- Bring 1 cup fresh water to a boil in a 5-quart heavy pot, then add clams and cook over moderately high heat, covered, until clams are fully open, checking every minute after 5 minutes and transferring clams with a slotted spoon to a bowl as they fully open.
- (Discard any clams that have not opened after 8 minutes.)
- Pour cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into another bowl.
- Remove cooked clams from shells, discarding shells.
- Coarsely chop clams and transfer to a bowl, then coarsely chop raw oysters and transfer to another bowl.
- Pour reserved oyster liquor through sieve into bowl with clam cooking liquid.
- Cook bacon in cleaned pot over moderate heat, stirring, until crisp, about 6 minutes, then transfer bacon with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.
- Add butter to pot and when foam subsides, cook onion, leeks, celery, and bay leaf, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, 12 to 15 minutes.
- While vegetables are cooking, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Add wine to softened vegetables and boil until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add potatoes, clam cooking liquid, and bottled clam juice.
- (If potatoes aren't fully covered with liquid, add more clam juice or water.)
- Simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Puree 2 cups soup in a blender until very smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids) and return to pot.
- Add cream, salt, pepper, Old Bay, and cayenne and cook at a bare simmer, stirring, until soup is heated through (do not let boil).
- Add clams and oysters and cook, stirring, just until oyster pieces begin to curl, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and discard bay leaf, then stir in parsley.
- Serve topped with crumbled bacon.
