The Essential Rhode Island Quahog Guide

Courtesy of George’s of Galilee.

Chowder Time

Try a rhode island-style clam chowder recipe from george’s of galilee.

But first, an introduction from the owner, kevin durfee.

“When most people think of clam chowder, they think of New England clam chowder, the thick kind. I will always prefer the real deal. Our clear broth chowder has a consistency of chicken soup and my family was one of the first places to ever prepare chowder this way. (My ancestor, Tom Durfee, came to Rhode Island in 1660, landed in Portsmouth, was issued a tavern license by the town in 1663 and was said to have served that chowder in his tavern at some point.)

George’s was established in 1948 and has since made its name on its clam cakes and chowder as well as other signature dishes like fish ‘n’ chips, lobster rolls, fried whole belly clams, stuffies and more. Our chowder was so popular that it became its own category: Rhode Island Clam Chowder. It’s been said that my grandfather coined the phrase ‘RI Chowder’ because he had no name for it, but he knew that it wasn’t served anywhere else. We are proud to be part of the history of quirky foods you can only find here in Rhode Island.

The reason why we prefer our clear broth chowder to the New England kind is that when you start any soup, you start with the basic ingredients, the stock, the liquid, not thickeners like cream, roux or cornstarch. They obscure the flavor of the main ingredient: fresh quahogs. What makes a good chowder is not the pork or bacon, the cream, the butter and all the things people throw into a recipe to make anything taste good, but the main ingredient: the clams (or quahogs, in our case). Below you’ll find the basic recipe you can try at home. The one we provide at George’s is slightly different with some proprietary additions that we hold secret.” As told to Kaitlyn Murray

Rhode Island-Style Chowder
2 pieces salt pork
½ lb chopped Spanish onions
5 lbs potatoes
1 oz salt
1 tsp white pepper
1 ½ gallons water
½ gallon minced quahogs
Start with an iron skillet and brown the salt pork on the stove for five minutes, then add the chopped onions and cook for another five minutes until onions become translucent but do not brown. Cut potatoes into half-inch cubes or any size you like. Add salt pork and onions with all other ingredients into a large chowder pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium/low and cook for about an hour or until potatoes are soft. You will often find that the taste gets better the next day, because the flavors have had more time to infuse into the broth.

George’s Portuguese Clams
Minced garlic
Diced shallots
Butter
Chorizo
Littlenecks
White wine
Scallions (for garnish)
Put your garlic and shallots in a saute pan. Add in the butter and turn the burner to medium heat. Once the shallots begin to become translucent, add in the chorizo and littlenecks. Mix together. Next, put a quarter-cup of wine into the pan. This will deglaze the dish and fuse all of the flavors together. Add enough wine so that the littlenecks are covered halfway with liquid. Now, cover the saute pan with a lid and reduce the temperature of the burner.

Allow the dish to simmer for five minutes or until the littlenecks begin to open. Once all the littlenecks have popped open, the dish is ready. Plate and garnish with scallions (or microgreens if you prefer).George’s of Galilee, 250 Sand Hill Cove Rd., Port of Galilee, 783-2306, georgesofgalilee.com 