Manhattan Clam Chowder

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, diced fennel, garlic and thyme. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until just soft and beginning to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, broth, wine and pepper. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Add potatoes and return to a simmer over medium heat. Place the clams in the shell on top of the simmering soup. Cover and cook until the vegetables are tender and the clams open, 6 to 10 minutes.
3. Chop the reserved fennel fronds; stir into the soup. Add chopped (or minced) clams and any clam juice; cook until just heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Discard any unopened clams before serving.

Tips & Notes

• Tips: Convenient cooked and diced potatoes can be found in the refrigerated section of the produce and/or dairy department of the supermarket. One 20-ounce bag contains about 3 1/2 cups.
• Instead of shucking pounds of fresh clams for this tomato-based chowder, we use clams that have already been shucked and chopped, then add a few whole clams in their shell to make it special. Shucked clams are available by the pound in the seafood department in large supermarkets. If you can’t find them, use canned clams.

Nutrition