Duke's Chowderhouse
Seattle, WA
Award-Winning Clam Chowder
~ Recipe ~

Duke's Chowderhouse in Seattle, WA won the Bite of Seattle Best Clam Chowder award. It really is fantastic chowder, and many customers are Duke's regulars largely because of it.

At one time Duke's was giving out thousands of postcards with the recipe printed on it. In the continued absence of any Duke's Chowderhouse presence on the Web (as of this writing in February '99), my bio page, which mentions Duke's because I worked there for 3 1/2 years, seems to be the place people find if they're looking for the recipe.

Well, I met the chef who created the recipe, but I never worked in the kitchen; I was a waiter. However, I still have one of those old recipe postcards. This one was probably printed in 1990. Here's the recipe:

Duke's Clam Chowder
Yields 1 quart (6 - 8 servings)

3 oz. diced bacon (approximately 4 slices)
1 medium diced onion
3 stalks diced celery
1/4 lb. diced new potatoes (blanched)
4 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups chopped clams, fresh or frozen
1/3 cup flour
1/2 cup half & half
3 oz. butter
2 oz. clam concentrate or clam base
1 1/4 cups clam juice or nectar
1 pinch chopped fresh garlic, white pepper, black pepper, cayenne pepper to taste
1 teaspoon marjoram
2 teaspoons chopped fresh basil
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon dill
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
1/8 cups chopped fresh parsley

• Cook bacon until transparent.
• Add butter, onions, celery and all the seasoning except dill and parsley.
• Cook until tender.
• Add flour and cook for another 3 - 4 minutes over low heat.
• Add all dairy products, clam nectar and base.
• Heat just under boiling point.
• Steam potatoes and cool.
• Add chopped clams and potatoes.
• Bring to a boil slowly and cook for 2 - 3 minutes.
• Add dill and parsley.
  
  

Disclaimer:
Though I must have gobbled gallons of this chowder during the 3 1/2 years I worked at Dukes, I've never prepared it myself. I have no further information about ingredients or cooking method. I'm not associated with Duke's today in any way except as an owner of an old Duke's recipe postcard. There is no copyright notice on the postcard.

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