Mrs. Kirby’s Clam Chowder

Let me begin by saying that I have no idea who Mrs. Kirby is.

Actually, that’s not true–I do have an idea. She was my great-grandmother’s neighbor when she lived on 8th Street in Philadelphia in the 1950’s. Legend has it that Mrs. Kirby made the best clam chowder in town, but she held the recipe close to her chest. My great-grandmother badgered her for years trying to get the secret to her delicious chowder. Finally, Mrs. Kirby gave in.

So the chowder entered into my family’s kitchen. It was always a crowd pleaser. The soup seemed to shine brightest when it was prepared at my grandparent’s beach house in Cape May Point, New Jersey. Every time we visited, a pot of Mrs. Kirby’s chowder was simmering away on the stove. The taste will aways bring back memories of watching the sun set over the dunes while digging in to a giant bowl of chowder on the porch.   

Before my great-grandmother passed away, my mom got a chance to spend some time in the kitchen with her in an effort to document her recipes. She wanted to ensure that family gems like Mrs. Kirby’s Clam Chowder would be preserved for future generations. 

It seems my grandmother was a cook close to my own heart: she didn’t really rely on written recipes, she kind of just winged it.

In the end, this is all we have left of Mrs. Kirby’s Clam Chowder:

It’s not to most through of write ups, but the elements are all there. 

If you really want to go the extra mile, you can shuck some fresh clams for this recipe. I went with the convenience of canned clams, which really makes this recipe a breeze. Strain the clams and reserve the juice. 

The recipe didn’t call for bacon, but I decided to use it to give the soup a little back end. In a dutch oven, saute the chopped bacon until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel. 

Add chopped onion, celery, and carrot to the pot and sauté in the bacon fat until tender.

Add cubed red potatoes and cook until they get a little tender.

Pour in a large can of diced tomatoes, clam juice, and the chicken stock. Add the chopped sugar snaps and season with fresh thyme, parsley and bay leaf. Cover and simmer until the potatoes are completely tender.

Mrs. Kirby wasn’t Paleo; she used a mixture of flour, butter and water for the dumplings. After a lot of experimenting, I settled on a combination of ghee, cassava flour, salt and water for mine. Whisk together the dry ingredients, then combine with the ghee. Add the water, a tablespoon at a time, and knead until a dough is formed.

Drop teaspoons of the dumpling dough into the pot. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the dumplings float.

Finally add the chopped clams. Simmer for just a few minutes until the clams are heated through.

Garnish with the bacon and fresh parsley and enjoy. Thanks, Mrs. Kirby!

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Mrs. Kirby's Clam Chowder

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Ingredients

• 20 oz. canned clams strained with juice reserved
• 16 oz. clam juice
• 28 oz. diced tomatoes with juice
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 3 strips bacon chopped
• 2 celery ribs diced
• 2 carrots peeled and diced
• 1 onion diced
• 2 red potatoes cubed
• 1 1/2 cups sugar snap peas chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley plus more for garnish
• sea salt and black pepper to taste

For the Dumplings

• 1/2 cup cassava flour
• 2 tablespoons ghee
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons warm water

Instructions

• Add the bacon to a heavy-bottomed dutch oven and bring to medium heat. Sauté the bacon until it is crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Add the diced onion, carrot an celery to the pot. Sauté until tender.
• Add the potatoes and cook until they start to soften.
• Pour in the tomatoes, clam juice, and chicken stock. Season with the fresh thyme springs, parsley, bay leaf, a large pinch of sea salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and simmer on low until the potatoes are completely tender, about 25-30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the cassava flour and salt in a small mixing bowl. Add the ghee and mix with a fork until small crumbs are formed. Start to add the water, a tablespoon at a time, and knead until a dough is formed.
• Divide the dough into roughly teaspoon-sized balls and drop into the simmering chowder. Cook them for at least 10-15 minutes, until the are soft and begin to float to the top of the pot.
• Add the chopped clams to the pot and cook for a few minutes until heated through.
• Remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and ladle the chowder into bowls. Garnish with fresh parsley and the bacon pieces. Enjoy!

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