Classic Manhattan Clam Chowder
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig of thyme
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
2 bay leaves
15 oz can chopped tomatoes
2 cups of seafood broth or clam juice
2 10-ounce cans of diced clams, drained with juice reserved
Salt and black pepper to taste
Chopped parsley
Saltine crackers for serving
Directions
Heat the oil in a dutch Oven, Add vegetables and garlic, and cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are soft but not brown, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. Add drained clam broth, seafood broth, thyme and celery seed, and bay leaves.
Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender approximately 10 minutes.
When potatoes are tender, stir in tomatoes, and heat them through. Add chopped clams, stirring to combine. Add black pepper to taste. Let chowder come to a simmer, and remove from heat. Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to develop flavor. Reheat it before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.