Salt pork, onions, seafood, potatoes, and, most of the time, milk make a traditional chowder. Manhattan clam chowder substitutes tomatoes for the milk. Some consider this blasphemy, others say it simply is not chowder, others want nothing else.
Scrub individually with a vegetable brush:
10 to 12 pounds quahogs or other hard-shell clams, preferably 2 to 3 inches across
Place in a sink or large soup pot, cover with cold water, and stir in:
1/4 cup salt
Let stand for 30 minutes to rid the clams of sand. Rinse and drain in a colander. Place the clams in a large soup pot and add:
2 cups water
Cover and steam over high heat until the clams are completely open, 10 to 15 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Pour the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside. When the clams are cool enough to handle, remove from the shell and chop finely. Heat in a large skillet, over medium heat:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Add and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned:
3 slices bacon, finely chopped
Add and cook, stirring, until tender but not browned, 5 to 10 minutes:
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, diced
1 large celery stalk, diced
Stir in the reserved cooking liquid along with:
1 28-ounce can whole plum tomatoes, with juice, chopped
3 cups Fish Fumet or Express Fish Broth
Bring to a boil. Stir in:
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Stir in the chopped clams and season with:
