Taste Restaurant, Café & Events Featured Recipe Winter 2006

Harvest Sweet Potato Chowder with Tarragon Honey

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

 

For the chowder:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 medium sweet or yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes, roasted, peeled and smashed (see cook's note, bottom of page)
  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into small dice
  • 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
  • 2 to 3 cups bottled or canned clam juice
  • 12 fresh littleneck clams, scrubbed
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 slices Beeler’s bacon cut into small strips
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh clams (steamers or cherrystone or canned)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • kosher salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 sprigs of fresh tarragon


For the honey:

  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
  • 3 tablespoons honey


Preparing the chowder

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook until soft. Stir in the mashed sweet potatoes, salt and pepper. Cook until the puree is slightly thickened. Increase the heat to high, add 1/2 cup of wine and cook until completely reduced (until wine has evaporated and soaked into onions, garlic and potatoes). Add the clam juice and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. If the mixture appears to be too thick, thin with a little extra clam juice or water. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain the mixture into a bowl and reserve.

In the same pot, bring the remaining 1 cup of white wine to a boil. Add the clams, cover and cook until all clams open, discarding any that do not, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the clams with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl. Add the reserved potato broth from before and slowly bring to a simmer.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a small sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the uncooked potatoes and cook until golden brown and caramelized (slightly brown). When the potatoes are almost cooked through, sprinkle with the sugar and toss until the sugar is dissolved and the potatoes are tender. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towels and drain. In the same pan, add the bacon and cook until golden brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain onto paper towels.

To the simmering soup, add the caramelized potatoes, bacon and 2 teaspoons of honey. Cook for 1 minute. Add the chopped clams and cook for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and cook an additional minute or until just heated through. Ladle into bowls and garnish each bowl with 3 clams in the shell and a drizzling of tarragon honey (see below) in a spiral motion over the top, followed by one delicate sprig of tarragon. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Tarragon Honey

Pour honey into a small thick-bottomed saucepan. Add fresh tarragon and heat slowly on low for 10 minutes. Cool slightly and place finished honey in a small squeeze bottle until soup is ready to serve. Note: Keep honey in a warm place or at room temperature.

Wine Recommendation

Wilridge Winery’s Semillon, Artz Vineyard 2005, 80% semillon/20% sauvignon blanc (Red Mountain)

Cook's Note: To roast sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 375°F. Roast the potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until soft.

Recipe by CR Conville, Executive Chef, Taste

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