Name: Pat’s Family Chowder
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 0.5 lb pearled or hulled barley; 4 cups chicken stock; 3.5 lb red potatoes - ½" dice; 1 EA package onion soup mix; 1 stick butter; 5 EA green onions - ½" dice; 2 EA cloves garlic - minced; 0.5 lb fresh mushrooms - sliced; 3 EA stalks celery - ½" dice; 1 EA can water chestnuts - ¼" chop; 0.5 lb bacon - cooked crisp and crumbled w/ drippings; 5 EA cans chopped clams - NOT drained; 0.5 pint sour cream; 0.5 pint whipping cream; 2 Tbsp lemon juice; 4 Tbsp fresh chopped parsley; 2 pinches black pepper; 3 Tbsp chicken base

Description

This deeply personal family recipe brings my mom's signature coastal soup directly into a sprawling, butter-infused pot[cite: 1]. Loaded with tender clams, diced potatoes, crisp bacon, barley, and sautéed aromatics like celery and mushrooms, every bowl delivers a rich, multi-layered texture. Keep in mind that this heirloom recipe makes a very large batch, so feel free to use the interactive serving tool below to scale it down for a smaller gathering

Instructions

Video

Rinse barley in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water.
Bring 4 cups chicken stock and barley to a boil in a saucepan over high heat, cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until tender (25–30 minutes for pearled, 40–45 minutes for hulled).
Strain barley over a bowl, reserving both the cooked barley and the starchy stock separately (top off with more chicken stock if reserved stock is less than 1 cup).
Place diced red potatoes and onion soup mix into a large stockpot and add just enough water to cover the potatoes by about an inch.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then immediately reduce heat to low and simmer gently until potatoes are slightly tender but still firm.
While the potatoes are simmering, melt 1 stick of butter in a separate skillet over medium heat.
Add green onions, garlic, mushrooms, celery, and water chestnuts to the skillet and sauté until soft.
Add sautéed vegetables, cooked barley, crumbled bacon with drippings, 5 cans undrained clams, and 1 cup of the reserved starchy chicken stock directly into the stockpot with the potatoes and cooking liquid.
Stir in sour cream, whipping cream, lemon juice, parsley, and black pepper.
Add chicken base 1 tsp at a time, tasting after each addition to monitor saltiness.
Simmer lightly on low heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Pat’s Family Chowder