Use Fresh Clams For The Best Tasting Soups And Chowders - Yahoo Canada Sports

live clam shells being sold

live clam shells being sold - Christopher Morris - Corbis/Getty Images

Clam chowder has been a staple all around the country since colonial times. There are three major types: the creamy richness of New England clam chowder with milk and cream, the tangy tomato goodness of Manhattan-style chowder, or the clear, brothy charm of Rhode Island-style chowder. No matter your preference, a single spoonful is a blessing in the colder months of the year. Beyond the regional style, what really makes or breaks your chowder are the clams. Even if it takes a bit more effort to prepare, you should definitely opt for fresh instead of canned clams!

The reason is simple: Fresh clams simply have a flavor that's hard to beat — oceanic and briny, thanks to their natural seawater content, which adds a unique depth of flavor to the chowder. Plus, it's briny enough that you don't need to add any extra salt at all! Canned clams lack this briny taste since most of their natural seawater content is lost during the canning process and what saltiness they do bring comes from the brine they're packed with as a preservative.

Additionally, fresh clams have a much more tender texture compared to canned clams. Because of this, whether by taste or texture, you can easily distinguish between soups or chowders made with fresh clams and those made with canned ones. It's just that distinctive!

Read more: 15 Different Ways To Cook Fish

Fresh And Canned Clams Both Get The Job Done, Though The Latter Won't Be As Good

opened tin of canned clams

opened tin of canned clams - stable/Shutterstock

To make a soup or chowder from fresh clams, start by purchasing live clams from a seafood market. The clams are then shucked, processed, and plated quickly, much like other delicate seafood, such as lobsters (shellfish are best used within 24 hours of being shucked). As a result, by the time they get into the dish, the clams should still have most of their natural flavors and texture, all of which will be a boon for your chowder.

Canned clams, on the other hand, are pre-cooked in a factory and then packed in tin cans with brine to ensure shelf stability. While modern canning technology has improved to the point that canned clams can taste very close to the fresh stuff, especially if you opt for a reputable brand, they still won't be able to beat the flavor or texture of fresh clams.

Both fresh and canned clams have a place in your kitchen. Canned clams will be passable for making chowder in a pinch but they're not quite optimal. If you're aiming for the best clam soup or chowder with an authentic and robust flavor, the extra effort of using fresh clams will pay off handsomely!

Read the original article on Tasting Table.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post

This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post This fish is worth $300,000 - New York Post Posted: 05 Jun 2016 12:00 AM PDT With exacting precision, the surgeon inserted the scalpel above the eyeball and cut out a snotty deposit of fatty tissue. The routine eye-lift was nearly complete when suddenly the patient awoke, suffocating, and began to flop about on the table. The audience gasped. Knowing time was of the essence, the surgeon scooped up the patient in his arms, raced across the stage, and dropped her into a tank of water. She revived. Because she was a fish. Yes, fish eye-lifts exist. As do fin jobs and tail tucks. The operating theater was a mall in Jakarta, Indonesia, where a pet expo was under way. As for the patient, she survived, her formerly droopy eyes now bright and perky. A good thing, too, as this was no ordinary goldfish but rather an Asian arowana, the world's most expensive aquarium denizen, rumored to sell for as mu...
Read more

Catching Dory: selling aquarium fish supports coastal livelihoods in Indonesia | npj Ocean Sustainability - Nature.com

Image
Abstract The global marine aquarium trade has created new local markets across the planet, including in Indonesia, now the second-largest exporting country of marine aquarium fish in the world. Participating in the global aquarium trade has been touted as a potentially sustainable addition to fisher livelihoods, but scant data exist showing the numbers of fish coming off the reef and how those fish contribute to income. To determine how participants in the trade incorporate aquarium species in their livelihoods, we examine source-level aquarium fish collecting and trading data in the Banggai Archipelago, a region in Central Sulawesi that has become a significant source for popular aquarium, also known as ornamental, fish species. Using a sustainable livelihoods lens, we examine this data to understand how participants in the aquarium trade both contribute to as well as benefit from the trade and consider how their participation relates to emerging Blue Justice principles. From one year...
Read more

NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire

Image
NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire NilocG Launches New Website for the Only All-in-One Thrive Fertilization Solution for Planted Aquariums - PRNewswire Posted: 11 Mar 2021 02:00 AM PST ALBANY, Ore. , March 11, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NilocG launches a new website for planted tank enthusiasts to gather and make THRIVE, a plant fertilizer that assures planted tank aquascapes flourish while eliminating the need for multiple products more readily available online. The company also takes it a step further in the industry, making its flagship product easy to dose, super-concentrated, and an all-in-one solution based on an effective EL dosing method with all essential micro and macronutrients. Continue Reading Thrive fertilizer: North America's most trusted aquarium plant fertilizer Colin Grice , CEO, a self-described planted tank lover, re...
Read more