Celebrate National Clam Chowder Day with The Oceanaire

It’s National Clam Chowder Day (February 25) and The Oceanaire Seafood Room celebrates by sharing an award-winning recipe for classic and creamy New England Clam Chowder that’s “CHOWDA” this world!

Known for serving only best-of-the-catch fish from the world’s most reputable suppliers, The Oceanaire focuses on simple, seasonal preparations and regionally inspired dishes.

.”Chef Andy Horstmann

Seafood preparation tips from Chef Andy Horstmann

How to select, shuck, and prepare fresh clams

• When it comes to selecting whole clams, you want to make sure they are clean (no mud or shells), smell fresh (like the ocean) and that you can always see the tag that shows where and when they were harvested. The clams at The Oceanaire are from Maryland.
• There are two types of clams – top necks and little necks

  –Top necks are larger and good for shucking and baking. The classic Casino dish is a good example of baked top necks. It consists of bacon peppers and butter.

  –Little necks are smaller and good for steaming in various broths. Chef Andy’s favorite is sherry broth. Steaming little neck clams is a fun way to cook at home. You can buy a bag of 30 at most grocery stores. They are relatively inexpensive. You will want to steam them in a skillet with cooking liquor like sherry or white wine. You can toss in some veggies like onion and peppers and also use lots of herbs and butter. These are best served with some toasted sourdough or any kind of bread.

There are basically two types of clam chowders, The New England and Manhattan Clam Chowders

• New England Clam Chowder is thick and creamy
• Manhattan Clam Chowder is made with a tomato base and has no cream.

NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Recipe (Serves 4-6)

3 slices bacon, ½” diced

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

3 cups diced red potatoes, ½” diced

1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

2 cans (approximately 7 ounces each) minced clams, with their juice

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup milk

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

½ Tbsp Garlic, minced

½ Tbsp Fresh Thyme

1 tsp Tabasco

Process:

1. Cook bacon until crisp in a Dutch oven or large, heavy saucepan.

2. Add onion to bacon and drippings; sauté until softened.

3. Add potatoes and clam juice, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove from heat.

4. Add minced clams with their liquid. Whisk flour into milk; add to chowder with half-and-half. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until clam chowder thickens and bubbles, or about 3 minutes.

5. Season with Worcestershire, garlic, thyme and tobacco, and whisk until fully incorporated.

6. Cook over low heat for an additional 5 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid scorching.

7. Serve in hot soup bowls with oyster crackers or saltines and fresh chopped parsley as a garnish.

SCALLOPS “DYNAMITE”

Recipe (Serves 4-6)

4 Maine Diver Scallops

2 oz Jumbo Lump Crab Meat

1 Tbs Mayo

1 Tbs Japanese Bread Crumbs

Sesame Seed

Sriracha to taste

Sambol to taste

Pinch Green Onion

Pinch Cilantro

Process:

1. Heat sauté pan.

2. Preheat oven to 400

3. Sear scallop with oil for 4 minutes

4. In a separate bowl mix jumbo lump crab and all ingredients.

5. Flip scallops and place crab mixture on top.

6. Bake in Oven until crab topping is golden brown. About 4 Minutes.

7. Garnish with sweet chili glaze.

HASH BROWN A LA OCEANAIRE

Recipe (Serves 4-6)

1lb Shredded Potatoes

2oz Cooked Bacon

1 oz Chopped Onion

Tabasco to flavor

½ cup Clarified Butter

Process:

1. Place Clarified Butter and 1lb shredded potatoes evenly across 8 inch nonstick skillet.

2. Add Bacon, onions, and tabasco to center of potatoes.

3. Cook 5 minutes, flip and cook another 5 minutes.

UPCOMING EVENTS:  The Oceanaire Seafood Room invites Indianapolis residents to participate in its Lobster Lovers Weekend happening March 12, 2015 – March 15, 2015. This weekend, guests can enjoy a fantastic 5-course dinner featuring fresh lobster prepared in a variety of different ways for each dish, excluding dessert.

ABOUT THE OCEANAIRE: The Oceanaire provides the perfect setting to enjoy the freshest seafood flown in daily from around the world. The Oceanaire’s knowledgeable staff provides guests with exceptional service by guiding them through the wide variety of items on the menu and selecting the perfect wine to complement any meal.

The Oceanaire is located at 30 South Meridian Street, Suite 100, the hours of operation are: Monday 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., Tuesday – Friday 11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m., Saturday 5 p.m. – 11 p.m. and Sunday 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. For more information about The Oceanaire or to make reservations, please contact (317) 955 – 2277 and visit their website at www.oceanaire.com