Not all cooking is pleasurable.
But follow this.

I have a dozen cherrystone clams and I want the meat.
Bring a large pot (I use my good-sized wok with cover) of 2 cups of water to a boil and set the clam into the pot; lower the heat to a simmer, set a timer for 7 minutes and go about my work.
At the ring, I remove the opened clams to a bowl for cooling and return the cover and let the unopened clams simmer for another 5 minutes, returning to retrieve the rest of the clams, now opened.
Reserve 24oz of the clam broth, adding water if necessary to attain the 24oz.

In a 12-cup saucepan I very slowly render ½ oz of pancetta or bacon, small-diced.
I set the timer for 5 minutes and return to may work.
At the bell I stir the pancetta and continue the render until the bits are deeply fried, at my work until ready.

At my convenience, the clams must be removed from their shells and cut into ½” pieces. Reserve.

Large-dice (1/2” cubes) 3oz each of celery, onions, and potatoes.

Add the potatoes to the rendered pancetta, cover the pan, and cook slowly (burner at simmer) for 5 minutes. Meanwhile return to work.
At ring, turn the potatoes and cook for another 3 minutes.

At ring, add the onions and celery.
Toss, add grated pepper, cover, and let cook slowly for 5 minutes. Go back to work.
At ring, turn all and cook for 3 minutes more.

At ring, add the clams, the 24oz of clam broth, 8oz of milk, and 4oz of heavy cream.
Low-Simmer for 5 minutes and serve hot garnished with thinly sliced scallion pennies.

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Tagging Today
Thursday, December 6, 2018
My 238th consecutive posting, committed to 5,000.
Time is 12.01am.
Boston’s temperature will reach a high of
It will

Dinner is Roast Pheasant. A tough bird to cook but I nailed it! Will share the recipe next week. I’m cooking Squab for more guests on Sunday. Another bird not commonly cooked. When I compare the way I cook the squab with the pheasant I’ll promulgate the recipes for both.

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Question of the Day:
Who makes the best New England Clam Chowder?

Hint:
I’ve never seen celery in another recipe for this dish.
But goodness, celery is born to it.

Celery is perhaps the least talked about of the critical aromatics.
Why is that?
Too common?

We all love celery.
Crunchy snack that satisfies a craving that may otherwise lead us to munching on something deleterious.

Celery is part of so many recipes, in an off-hand way.

For the record, celery elevates basic New England Clam Chowder to a plane above the recipes omitting it. All of them.
Except ours.

Celery, onions, and bell peppers are the "holy trinity" of Louisiana Creole and Cajun cuisine.
Celery, onions, and carrots make up the French mirepoix, often used as a base for sauces and soups.
Of course, the de Medici family would tell us where the French got that idea.
As in any one of the Italian women who had her own ideas of a kitchen that the French kings married.
Celery is a staple in many soups, such as chicken noodle soup.
To those, please add Clam Chowder.

Celery leaves are frequently used in cooking to add a mild spicy flavor to foods, similar to, but milder than black pepper.
Celery leaves are suitable dried as a sprinkled-on seasoning for use with baked, fried or roasted fish, meats and as part of a blend of fresh seasonings suitable for use in soups and stews.

Answer to Question:
We do, of course.
Here’s the recipe.
CLAM CHOWDER (4 bowls)
18 cherrystone clams, shells washed
2 cups water

Steam clams open and remove, shells discarded
Save 2 cups of broth (add some water if necessary to bring quantity up to 2 cups)
Cut cherrystones into ½” pieces

In a 12-cup sauce pan render ½ oz of pancetta or salt pork or bacon chopped into a 1/8” dice.

4 oz waxed potatoes, scrubbed and cut into large-dice, ½” cubes
4 oz onions, large-dice, ½” cubes
4oz celery, large-dice, ½” cubes

Add the potatoes to the rendered fat.
Fry the potatoes on a low heat for 5 minutes
Turn and cook for another 3 minutes.

Add the celery and onions.
Grate a copious amount of black pepper and cook the pan until softened.
Add the clams and cook with the vegetables for 3 minutes to marry the flavors. 
Add 2 cups of clam broth, 8oz of milk and 4oz of heavy cream. 

Replace the milk with light cream if very small portions are being served.
Heat to very hot, garnish with chives or scallions, and serve w crackers.

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Good morning on this Thursday, December 6, Christmas now 19 days away.
Today we talked about incorporating cooking into our daily rhythm. And we discussed celery. And clam chowder, THE recipe for.

Che vuoi? Le pocketbook?

See you soon.

Love

Dom