Week 6: Clam chowder

The week started with some deep frying, slow cooking, and rice stirring.

It's chowder time!

Rendering the bacon for the chowder. A roux was made with the bacon grease and the celery and onion were sauteed in the same pan.

 Finished result. 

Prep: No problems with prep. The bacon rendered nicely, and the roux made the chowder a nice thick consistency.

Presentation: I used a more dramatic looking bowl to create more visual interest. Some sprinkled chopped parsley adds some more color and texture difference. The vegetables and bacon in the chowder add some textural and color difference inherently.

Taste: The chowder vegetables were tender but not mushy. The flavor was a balance of creaminess and earthy smokiness with salinity from the bacon. There were plenty of clams in the chowder. I might even add less clams to the chowder for next time to make more of an even ratio of meat to vegetable.

Overall: I think this chowder was a success. It was flavorful, the vegetables were cooked well, and had a good consistency. Plating was simple and effective.