Original: English

Chowder

No special techniques or ingredients required。 Once you've mastered the basic clam chowder, you can get creative with various ingredients. This hearty and warming soup is a lifelong treasure. Bring a satisfying dish to your everyday table.

Steps

Make a few shallow cuts at the base of 1 bunch of spinach to wash away dirt. [Here's the trick!] The base is packed with sweetness and nutrients, so don't cut it off; make cuts to facilitate washing.
🕒 00:23
Chop the washed spinach into 1cm to 2cm pieces.
🕒 01:09
Place the chopped spinach in a salad spinner and rinse with water. Soak in enough water to cover for 5 minutes to remove bitterness. [Here's the trick!] Soaking in water removes bitterness and the grassy flavor, making the soup more palatable.
🕒 01:21
Core the base of 1/2 onion.
🕒 01:50
Dice the onion into approximately 1cm to 2cm cubes. [Here's the trick!] Making cuts on both sides before chopping prevents the ends from becoming disproportionately large.
🕒 02:01
Place the chopped onion in a bowl.
🕒 02:53
Finely chop 60g of bacon.
🕒 02:57
Place the bacon in a frying pan and set aside.
🕒 03:34
Prepare 60g of shelled clams.
🕒 03:41
Prepare 15g of butter and 15g of flour.
🕒 04:07
Prepare 50ml of white wine.
🕒 04:17
In a separate bowl, combine 200ml of water, 300ml of milk, 1 tsp of consommé, and 1/2 tsp of sugar. Mix lightly to create the sauce base.
🕒 04:24
Thoroughly drain the soaked spinach using a salad spinner. [Here's the trick!] To prevent the soup from becoming diluted, make sure to drain the water well.
🕒 04:55
Heat the frying pan over low heat and sauté the bacon until browned. [Here's the trick!] Sautéing the bacon first extracts its flavorful oil, preventing other ingredients from boiling in their own moisture.
🕒 05:26
Once the bacon is browned, add the onion and frozen shelled clams, and sauté until the onion becomes translucent. [Here's the trick!] Using frozen shelled clams without thawing allows you to cook them without losing their umami.
🕒 05:45
Add 15g of butter and 50ml of white wine. Cook until the white wine has evaporated and the acidity is reduced. [Here's the trick!] Mixing milk with an acidic liquid can cause separation, so ensure the acidity of the white wine is fully evaporated before adding milk.
🕒 06:08
Turn off the heat, sprinkle 15g of flour evenly over the ingredients, and mix well. [Here's the trick!] Turning off the heat before mixing allows you to work without rushing and helps create a smoother white sauce with fewer lumps.
🕒 06:42
Turn the heat back to low. Gradually add the prepared sauce base a little at a time, increasing the amount as the flour absorbs the liquid.
🕒 07:04
Once there are no more lumps, add the remaining sauce and cook over medium-low heat, bringing it to a boil to thicken.
🕒 07:30
Once the soup is heated, add the drained spinach and stir to incorporate it into the soup.
🕒 07:52
Heat again until it boils, stirring occasionally.
🕒 08:05
Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes to draw out the flavor of the ingredients.
🕒 08:28
Stir occasionally while simmering to prevent sticking to the bottom.
🕒 08:37
After 5 minutes, turn off the heat.
🕒 08:48
Add melting cheese and stir.
🕒 09:07
Grind pepper to taste.
🕒 09:15
Taste and adjust saltiness to complete. [Here's the trick!] A seasoning that is slightly less salty than you might expect is key to enjoying the flavor until the end.
🕒 09:33