Thyme out!
#10
  Re: (...)
I love New England clam chowder. The chef at a place we frequent for lunch overloads the clam chowder with thyme. I finally got the C@H soups book and they add thyme and rosemary. We were in Boston this weekend for a wedding and chowder ordered in 3 different places had no thyme. My old standard NYTimes cookbook includes no spices outside of salt and black pepper. What's up with the thyme? To me it overpowers the clams.
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#11
  Re: Thyme out! by lxxf (I love New England c...)
I love thyme in my chowder--I don't use a lot though.
"He who sups with the devil should have a. long spoon".
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#12
  Re: Re: Thyme out! by Old Bay (I love thyme in my c...)
In the chowder we just made in school we had thyme in ours but it was just one small sprig that we removed at the end.
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#13
  Re: Re: Thyme out! by DFen911 (In the chowder we ju...)
I thought I had our recipe for Clam Chowder, but I don't. I checked The New Professional Chef (CIA), Fanny Farmer and The Joy of Cooking and none of them add thyme or any spices other than salt and pepper. I hadn't heard of using thyme either. To me, one has to be very careful with thyme to prevent over-powering other flavorings. Admittedly, I am not a professional, but most recipes using thyme call for too much for my taste.
Don't wait too long to tell someone you love them.

Billy
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#14
  Re: Re: Thyme out! by Old Bay (I love thyme in my c...)
Maybe, I'm just hypersensitive to thyme, but it really is overpowering in this particular place. It's only fitting, since it's thriving in my herb garden - the basil and dill are all gone, but the thyme and parsley are going great guns!
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#15
  Re: Re: Thyme out! by bjcotton (I thought I had our ...)
I make clam chowder about twice a year---originally from New England, we are. The chowder recipe I have used for decades does have thyme in it and for some reason "something" would be missing if I didn't add it. I add the sprig and then remove at the end as well--just a very faint taste is wonderful for us.
"Never eat more than you can lift" Miss Piggy
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#16
  Re: Re: Thyme out! by Roxanne 21 (I make clam chowder ...)
Another .02 - I've never made clam chowder without thyme.
Retired and having fun writing cookbooks, tasting wine and sharing recipes with all my friends.
www.achefsjourney.com
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#17
  Re: Re: Thyme out! by cjs (Another .02 - I've n...)
I've never added thyme... will have to try. I've got 4 cans of clams in the pantry. Since the high is only going to be in the 50's tomorrow (FINALLY!!!) I may cook this for dinner tomorrow!
Loving every moment of my life!!
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#18
  Re: Thyme out! by lxxf (I love New England c...)
Hi, all,

I'm from the Seacoast Region in NH, so New England Clam Chowder is offered in almost every restaurant. I've only seen it with thyme once, though. I have seen it with tarragon a few times.

The prize winners at the annual Chowder Festival are almost always very traditional, clams, potatoes, celery and onion, broth, heavy cream and sometimes bacon (or salt pork). I believe the Galley Hatch in Hampton, NH, has held the title for several years running.

I'm not a professional cook, either, so who knows if a sprig or two is thrown in to build flavor, but if the thyme is overpowering, I know I wouldn't enjoy it either, lxxf!

PJ
PJ
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