This marked yet another first for me as it was my very first attempt at homemade clam chowder. Something told me Tyler Florence would have a great recipe to try. Sure enough, I found the perfect one in my Tyler
When things come in hard shells, my mind wants to tell me that they are difficult to cook. But, similar to the lobsters, the clams were so easy and quick to cook, and the resulting broth made a perfect briny base for the soup…a taste that was well worth the effort and simply cannot be matched by canned clam juice.
After cooking the clams, I removed the meat from the shells, gave it a rough chop, and set it aside to be added back into the soup just before serving. As I ladled soup into our bowls to serve, I glanced at the small dish on the counter next to the soup pot and realized I had forgotten to add back in the star ingredient. My sheepish reaction: “Hey, you guys didn’t actually want clams in your clam chowder, did you?” I promptly added a heaping spoonful of cooked clams into each of our soup bowls...crisis averted.
You see, it's not all pressed tablecloths, flawless recipes, and beautiful pictures around here. I do try to go above and beyond to present interesting content and pictures in this here blog, but I think it's only fair to fess up when things don't go 100% as planned. I totally respect bloggers who are honest about embrace their shortcomings and imperfections. So yes, maybe I forgot to add the clams to my soup, but I won't let that deter me from trying so-called "challenging" recipes and techniques again in the future. Besides, the disasters end up making the best stories after.
"You will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm."
