Appetizers and Soups
APPETIZERS
Taco Dip/Yokley
Vegetable Dip/Elliott
Baked Mussels/Sineno
Corton/Dionne
Baked Clams Bellissimo/Kent
Salmon Mousse/Ginley
Shrimp Mold/Rella
Crab Rollups/Prince
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms/Ginley
Zucchini Appetizer/Reed
Scungilli (Conch) Salad/Sineno
SOUPS
Boro-Wide Chicken Soup/D'Attore
Chicken Rice Soup/Sineno
Chicken and Escarole Soup/Sineno
Low Tide Soup/Solimeno
Carmela's Special Bean Soup/Ciance
Firehouse Bean Soup/Smith
Arizona Mountain Soup/Schwerdt
Beef Barley Vegetable Soup/Kessler and Kessler
Goulash Soup/White
Tortellini Meatball Soup/Buttino
Turkey Albondigas Soup/Wood
Vegetable Soup Express/d'Emic
Potato Soup/Schwerdt
New York Clam Chowder/Stack
Maxie Pearl's Chowder/Kessler and Kessler
Manhattan Fish Chowder/Schwerdt
Taco Dip
Be careful -- guests will dive into this one and won't want much dinner! It's that good!
SERVINGS: PARTY SIZE
1 large can refried beans
1 jar salsa (medium hot)
1 can chopped olives, drained
1 can (4 ounces) diced peeled green chilies, drained
2 avocados, peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 container (16 ounces) sour cream
3 hot carrot slices
3 onion rings
1 jalapeño pepper Grated cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips
Mix the refried beans with 1/4 cup of the salsa. Spread the mixture over the bottom of a serving bowl. Layer with chopped olives, then diced green chilies, salsa, mashed avocados, and sour cream. Garnish the center of the dip with the hot carrots, each within an onion ring, and the jalapeno on top. Sprinkle grated cheddar cheese around the perimeter.
Serve with tortilla chips.
Capt. Richard Yokley
Engine 12, Bonita, California
Vegetable Dip
SERVINGS: 12-16
1/2 cup chili sauce
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup vinegar
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
Mix all the ingredients in a blender until smooth. Chill. Serve with any vegetable or over a salad.
Sgt. Richard Elliott
Volunteer Fire Department, Clarksville, Virginia
Baked Mussels
SERVINGS: YOUR CHOICE
Fresh mussels, cleaned and debearded, in amount desired
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Seasoned bread crumbs
Melted margarine
Marinara sauce
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Put the mussels in a frying pan with the water and steam open, covered. Once the mussels are opened, drain off the liquid. Remove one part of the shell and discard. Place the mussels, in shells, in a baking pan and top with bread crumbs. Drizzle with margarine. Pour marinara sauce over the mussels and place in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes.
Serve immediately.
John Sineno, retired
Engine 58, F.D.N.Y
Corton
This spread is also spelled Gorton or Creton in Nova Scotia and is sometimes made there using ground beef. It's excellent on English muffins, fresh bread, or even crackers. A good in-between-runs, on a busy night, meal or snack!
SERVINGS: 16-20
1 fresh pork shoulder (about 5 pounds) or 4 pounds ground pork
4 cups water
1 large onion, chopped
Salt
1 level tablespoon allspice per cup of pork
If a pork shoulder is used, cook it overnight in a Crock-Pot and grind up, fat and all, in the A.M. This produces excellent flavor, as the bone-in cooking method is best. If using ground pork, put 1 cup of water for each cup of ground pork into an uncovered pot and slow-simmer until almost all the water is evaporated. (Do not try to do this in the Crock-Pot!) Add 1 teaspoon of salt at a time to the cooked pork until you get it to your taste. Then add 1 level tablespoon of allspice per cup of pork. Excess fat can be skimmed off, and the spread can be put into containers. Cool and refrigerate.
For a smoother spread, you can beat it with a hand mixer after it is all cooked and before it is put into containers.
Nelson Dionne
Car 21, Salem, Massachusetts
Baked Clams Bellissimo
SERVINGS: 12
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pint shucked clams, minced, liquid reserved
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
12 cherrystone clam shells, scrubbed clean
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Heat the vegetable oil and butter in a skillet. Add the onion and garlic and sauté over medium heat until golden. Drain the clam liquid into the onion mixture, stir in the wine, and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Mix in the clams, parsley, olive oil, and pepper. Heat thoroughly. Spoon into the clam shells and top with the bread crumbs. Bake for about 15 minutes.
Cecil Kent
Ladder 156, F.D.N.Y.
Salmon Mousse
SERVINGS: 20
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
2 cans (15 ounces each) pink salmon, drained and liquid reserved
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Lettuce and lemon wedges for garnish
Soften the gelatin in the water, with salmon liquid added to total 1 cup. Stir over medium heat until the gelatin dissolves. Cool. Place in a blender with the remaining ingredients (except the garnish) and blend till smooth. Pour into a lightly oiled 8-cup mold, cover, and chill until set. Turn the mold onto a lettuce-lined plate; top with lemon wedges.
Joe Ginley, retired
Engine 8, F.D.N.Y.
Shrimp Mold
Serve the mold with crackers, potato chips, or pretzels.
SERVINGS: 8-10
3 packages (3 ounces each) Philadelphia cream cheese
1 can tomato soup
1 1/2 packages unflavored gelatin
3 cans (4 1/2 ounces each) deveined shrimp, drained
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 bunch green onions, stems only, chopped
Keep the cream cheese out to soften. Heat the soup over low heat and add the cream cheese. Simmer till the cheese is melted. Dissolve the gelatin in 1/4 cup cold water and add to the tomato soup along with the remaining ingredients. Stir. Pour into a lightly greased mold. Chill overnight.
Danny Rella
Engine 91, F.D.N.Y.
We were on the Phil Donahue Show for the second time and were asked to make something different from the last time. We were not sure if the entire show would be devoted to the cookbook like the first time, so I prepared two dishes -- homemade manicotti and crab rollups. The manicotti was in the book; the crab rollups, however, were not.
Prior to the end of the telecast, Donahue was plugging the book, and he mistakenly said that both recipes prepared on the show were in the cookbook.
A few days later at the firehouse, our regular mailman stopped in and said he had some mail for us, probably about the cookbook. Well, he proceeds to carry in two of those large gray sacks filled with over 2,000 letters from Donahue viewers who wanted the crab rollup recipe! Needless to say, we had inserts made up of this recipe to put into future printings of the cookbook.
Danny Prince
Crab Rollups
SERVINGS: 60
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
8 ounces Velveeta cheese
1 small can crabmeat (drained and picked over for shells)
20 slices white bread (such as Wonder), crusts removed, flattened with a rolling pin
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup sesame seeds, or as needed
Stirring, melt the butter and Velveeta cheese in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. When the butter and cheese are melted and smooth, add the crabmeat and mix. When the mixture's a spreadable consistency, spread like peanut butter on the thinned slices of bread. Roll up each slice like a jelly roll. Dip each roll in melted butter and roll in sesame seeds. Place the rolled bread slices on a cookie sheet, seam side down. Freeze.
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350° F.
Cut each roll into thirds. Bake until golden brown, approximately 10 minutes.
Danny Prince
Ladder 156, F.D.N.Y.
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms
SERVINGS: 12-15
3 dozen large fresh mushrooms
1 can (7 1/2 ounces) crabmeat, drained and flaked
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped pimiento
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Wash and dry the mushrooms; remove stems. Combine the crabmeat, parsley, pimiento, capers, and chopped mushroom stems. Blend the mustard and mayonnaise, toss with the crabmeat mixture. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture and bake for 10 minutes.
Joe Ginley, retired
Engine 8, F.D.N.Y.
Zucchini Appetizer
SERVINGS: 8
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Pepper to taste
4 eggs, beaten
1 garlic clove, chopped
Preheat the oven to 350° F.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Spread in a greased 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan and bake for 35 minutes until golden brown.
Serve warm.
Mrs. Shirley Reed
Secretary to the Fire Commissioner, F.D.N.Y.
Scungilli (Conch) Salad
SERVINGS: 4-6
4 cans (8 ounces each) scungilli
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon dried parsley
Black pepper
Rinse the scungilli with cold water, drain, and put in a large jar. Add the garlic, oil, lemon juice, oregano, basil, and parsley. Sprinkle with black pepper. Close the jar tightly; shake well. Put in the refrigerator and shake occasionally. The longer it stays, the sharper the taste. Serve whenever.
VARIATION: Squid salad is prepared in much the same way. Before adding to the jar, boil 8 large, cleaned squid in water for 2 to 3 minutes. Cut into bite-size pieces, then proceed as above.
John Sineno, retired
Engine 58, F.D.N.Y.
Boro-Wide Chicken Soup
In cold weather the guys always want me to make soup. Now this recipe has fed up to 20 big guys at one sitting, but it can be kept and reheated when you feel that cold coming on. Incidentally, none of my crew has been out with a winter cold in seven years.
SERVINGS: 16-20
4 nice chickens in a big pot of boiling water, with herbs and spices already in
Stalk of celery with 2 large onions quartered; add to the chicken pot
3 bags of fresh carrots, cut in 1-inch pieces
4 potatoes, diced (for the Irish guys)
A parsnip or two
3 bags frozen mixed vegetables (need the vitamins)
2 packages mushrooms, sliced (but only because the captain hated them)
2 pounds of Ditalini or other macaroni, cooked and put in the bowls just before the soup
What I do is boil the chicken for about 45 minutes until it slides off the bones; cook the carrots, potatoes, and parsnips on the side. When the chicken is done, have the guys peel the meat off in chunks. While this is being done, add the cooked veggies, frozen mixed vegetables, and mushrooms to the broth. By the time the chicken is peeled, the soup will be done.
Serve with plenty of grated cheese and lots of Italian bread.
John D'Attore
Engine 66, F.D.N.Y.
Chicken Rice Soup
SERVINGS: 6-8
1 whole chicken, cut up
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups long-grain white rice
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Grated Parmesan cheese to taste
Wash the chicken and put in a stockpot. Cover with water (approximately 6 cups) and add the parsley and carrots. Bring to a slow boil and cook until the chicken is done. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the pot, bone, and shred. To the liquid in the pot add the rice and bouillon cubes. Cover and cook until the rice is done. Add the shredded chicken and serve, garnished with Parmesan cheese.
John Sineno, retired
Engine 58, F.D.N.Y.
Chicken and Escarole Soup
SERVINGS: 6-8 (DEPENDING UPON AMOUNT OF INGREDIENTS USED)
1 chicken, cut up
1 celery stalk, chopped
4 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2 bunches escarole, washed and trimmed
1 pound ground meat (such as beef)
Chopped garlic
Bread crumbs
Cheese
Chopped fresh parsley
Cover the chicken with water, cover, and bring to a boil. Add the celery, carrots, onion, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat and simmer till tender. Remove the chicken from the broth; strain the broth and return to the pot. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and shred the meat. Set aside.
In a separate pot, boil the escarole for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain and let cool.
Season the ground meat with garlic, bread crumbs, cheese, and parsley, to taste. Mold the mixture into small meatballs, the size of dimes. Add the meatballs, escarole, and shredded chicken to the simmering broth. Cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
John Sineno, retired
Engine 58, F.D.N.Y.
Low Tide Soup
The name came because it reminds me of the low tide at Garrison Beach.
SERVINGS: 12-16
6 large heads escarole
Plenty of garlic (the more the better, at least one head)
6 to 8 large cans kidney beans, both red and white
2 pounds elbow macaroni
Clean the escarole and chop coarsely.
Bring 4 quarts of water to a full boil in a large pot. Add the escarole. Cook 8 to 10 minutes on a low boil. Add the garlic and beans with their liquid, and cook 6 to 8 minutes.
Cook the elbow macaroni separately until al dente. Drain the elbows and add to the escarole.
Serve with meatloaf, sandwiches, hamburgers, etc.
Frankie Action Solimeno
41st Battalion, F.D.N.Y.
Carmela's Special Bean Soup
The soup can be poured over hard Italian biscuits or over Italian bread, and served with grated Parmesan cheese.
SERVINGS: 4
2 tablespoons of your favorite cooking oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 large garlic cloves, diced
1/2 pound chopped beef chuck
3 sausage links (hot or sweet, to taste)
1 16-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, drained
3 celery stalks, cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste
4 cups water
1 large can cannellini beans
1 cup small elbow macaroni
Heat the cooking oil in a 2-quart saucepan. Add the onion and garlic and sauté lightly. Remove from the oil and set aside. Add the chopped meat to the pan and brown; remove and set aside. Brown the sausage links and remove; cut into bite-size chunks and set aside.
Pour the strained tomatoes into the oil, stirring gently, and let simmer for 10 minutes. Add the celery and cook another 5 minutes. Return all the cooked ingredients to the pan, stirring to let the meats absorb the sauce. Cook, covered, for 1 hour. Add seasoning to taste. Pour in the water and add the beans; cook, covered, for an additional 1/2 hour.
Meanwhile, cook the elbow macaroni according to package directions. When the soup is done, add the cooked macaroni and stir. Serve immediately.
Carmela Rosseno Ciance
District Office 12, F.D.N.Y.
Firehouse Bean Soup
SERVINGS: 12
4 pounds dried Great Northern or navy beans
1 smoked ham (6 pounds), rubbed with ground cloves and sprinkled with brown sugar
10 quarts water
5 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
2 large onions, chopped
4 bay leaves
2 large cans whole tomatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Soak the beans in water to cover overnight. Also the night before, bake the ham.
Drain the beans in the morning and cut the ham off the bone and cut in small pieces. Add the water to the beans in the pot and cook for 1-1 1/2 hours before adding the other ingredients, then add the diced potatoes, onions, bay leaves, and ham and bone. Cook until the potatoes are done but still firm. Add the tomatoes and cook 30 more minutes. Season to your own taste. Keep a check on the water. More may need to be added as the soup cooks.
Richard S. Smith
Randallstown Station #18, Westminster, Maryland
Arizona Mountain Soup
SERVINGS: 8
1 1/4 cup dried pinto beans, rinsed
5 cups water
3 slices bacon, chopped
2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (16 ounces) tomatoes, cut up
1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Combine the beans and 3 cups of the water in a 5-6-quart kettle or Dutch oven. Cover, let stand overnight or bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and let simmer 2 minutes. Let stand 1 hour. Do not drain. Simmer, covered, for 2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Drain, reserving 2 cups of liquid.
Cook the bacon in the Dutch oven until almost crisp. Add the onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the vegetables are tender but not brown. Stir in the cooked pinto beans, tomatoes, rice, salt, paprika, and pepper. Add the reserved bean liquid and remaining 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally If the soup is too thick, add water.
Don Schwerdt
Engine 4, Springfield, New Jersey
Beef Barley Vegetable Soup
Serve this soup with biscuits and green salad.
SERVINGS: ENOUGH FOR AT LEAST 6 HEARTY APPETITES
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless beef, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons margarine
1 medium onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes, broken up
1 can (16 ounces) tomatoes, broken up
3/4 cup barley
1 bag (16 ounces) frozen mixed vegetables (corn, peas, lima beans, green beans)
Brown the beef slightly, in the margarine, in a large saucepan. Add the onion, celery, parsley, salt and pepper, and water to cover. Simmer 1 to 1 1/2 hours, covered. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Add the barley and cook, covered, 45 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the barley from sticking to the bottom. Add the frozen vegetables. Simmer on medium heat for 45 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked to your desired tenderness.
Warren G. Kessler, retired
Engine 268, F.D.N.Y.
Charlene A. Kessler, Ladies Auxiliary Volunteer
Fire Department, Clarksville, Virginia
Goulash Soup
Here's another spicy beauty. This is great with a fresh loaf of pumpernickel or rye bread.
A whole chili may heat this soup more than you like -- you could use a dash of red pepper instead.
SERVINGS: 6-8
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pounds boneless beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 tablespoons butter
3 large onions, chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef stock, homemade or canned (if canned, omit salt called for in recipe)
1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika (domestic, if you must)
2 large green peppers, cut into narrow strips
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon or more freshly ground pepper
1 heaping teaspoon caraway seeds
1 can (16 ounces) tomatoes and liquid, chopped
1 small dried red chili pepper, crushed
2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into eighths
Sour cream (optional; purists don't use it -- tastes good though)
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat and brown the meat well. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the butter and melt, add the onions and garlic and sauté 5 minutes.
Dissolve the flour well in some of the stock (Wondra flour dissolves easiest). Add to the saucepan. Stir in the paprika, rest of the stock, green peppers, salt, pepper, caraway seed, tomatoes, and chili. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer 2 hours.
Add the potatoes and simmer 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Garnish with sour cream, if you wish, and serve.
NOTE: Like chilies and stews, this dish is best made a day ahead. Complete through the next-to-last step. Refrigerate overnight, skim off the fat, reheat, then add the potatoes as above.
William J. White, retired
Ladder 26 and 164
Tortellini Meatball Soup
SERVINGS: 16-20
2 gallons water
6 beef bouillon cubes
6 chicken bouillon cubes
1 package soup greens, finely chopped
Pepper to taste
Garlic powder to taste
2 pounds ground beef
1 large head escarole, rinsed and chopped
2 packages (10 ounces each) fresh spinach, rinsed and chopped
2 pounds tortellini
1 egg, beaten
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Into a large soup pot put the water, beef and chicken bouillon cubes, soup greens, pepper, and garlic powder. Simmer for 1 hour.
Form the beef into meatballs. After the soup has simmered for 1 hour, add the meatballs, escarole, spinach, and tortellini. Simmer till the meatballs are thoroughly cooked. Add the egg and parsley. Five minutes before serving, add the Worcestershire sauce.
Capt. Pat Buttino
Engine 263, F.D.N.Y.
Turkey Albondigas Soup
At the firehouse 1 serve this soup with warm tortillas or good bread, and provide garnishes of minced fresh cilantro, leaf oregano, lime or lemon wedges.
SERVINGS: GENEROUS 10 (OR ENOUGH FOR 6 HUNGRY FIREFIGHTERS)
Soup:
1 can (28 ounces) tomatoes, undrained and coarsely chopped
2 quarts water
2 celery stalks, sliced, about 2 cups
4 or 5 carrots, sliced, about 3 cups
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely minced
1 can (4 ounces) mild peeled chilies, drained and cut in 1/4-inch strips
1/3 can El Paso brand hot tomato sauce (reserve remaining sauce for those who like it hotter)
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
Dash of black pepper, to taste
3 large potatoes
1 can (30 ounces) hominy, drained
Meatballs:
2 pounds ground turkey
1 egg
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
In an 8-quart soup pot bring the tomatoes, water, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, chilies, El Paso sauce, salt and pepper to a boil. While waiting for the boil, peel and quarter the potatoes lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch slices to make about 6 cups. Add the potatoes and continue cooking for 30 minutes.
Mix the ground turkey, egg, seasoned salt, and seasoned bread crumbs. Shape into 1 1/4-inch meatballs.
When the carrots and potatoes are tender, stir in hominy, then the meatballs, stirring gently. Bring back to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 30 minutes more.
Tyre N. Wood
Fire Department, Whittier, California
Vegetable Soup Express
(A 6-Man Firehouse Delight)
SERVINGS: ENOUGH FOR 6 HUNGRY FIREMEN
6 medium onions, chopped
6 celery stalks, chopped
3 sprigs parsley, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
3 tablespoons butter
8 large tomatoes, pureed
8 carrots, peeled and diced
1 pound string beans, diced
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into large cubes
3 quarts water, or as needed
8 beef bouillon cubes
1/8 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
In a 10-quart pot, sauté the onions, celery, parsley, and bay leaf in the butter. Add water as needed in 1/4-cup amounts for 20 minutes. In a 5-quart pot combine the tomatoes, carrots, string beans, potatoes, and 2 quarts of the water. Cook over a medium flame for 15 minutes, then over a low flame for an additional 5 minutes. Pour the vegetable mixture into the 10-quart pot. Add another quart water and the bouillon cubes. Bring to a low boil with a lid and cook for 30 minutes. Add the pepper and salt to taste.
J. d'Emic
Engine 248, F.D.N.Y.
Potato Soup
SERVINGS: 12
3 pounds beef soup bones, cracked
3 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in large pieces
4 medium carrots, peeled and cut in large pieces
2 medium turnips, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium onions, cut in quarters
1/3 cup snipped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons butter
3 quarts water
4 teaspoons salt
1 cup half-and-half
2 egg yolks, beaten
Grated Parmesan cheese
Additional snipped parsley
Place the soup bones in a large baking pan. Bake in a preheated 450° F oven 15 to 20 minutes, or until browned. In a large kettle, sauté the potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions, and 1/3 cup snipped parsley in the butter until slightly browned. Add the water, salt, and browned soup bones. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour.
Remove any meat from the bones, and discard the bones. Strain the soup, reserving stock and vegetables. Place the vegetables in a blender and puree, or force through a fine sieve. Mix together the stock, pieces of meat, and pureed vegetables. Bring to a boil and gently boil until the soup reduces to 2 1/2 quarts. Before serving, heat the soup. Combine the half-and-half and beaten egg yolks. Stir a small amount of soup into the egg mixture, and return to the soup. Heat until slightly thick. Serve with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese and additional snipped parsley.
Don Schwerdt
Engine 4, Springfield, New Jersey
New York Clam Chowder
SERVINGS: 6
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 cup peeled and cubed potatoes
2 cups hot water
1 dozen large clams, chopped, with their juice (must be hard clams)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
Brown the bacon with the onion in a large saucepan. When the onion is soft, add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, carrot, potatoes, and water. Bring to a boil, then cook until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Add the clams, thyme, and clam juice. Simmer for 5 minutes longer.
Fireman Tom Stack
Brooklyn/Queens Holy Name Society
Maxie Pearl's Chowder
(Manhattan Style)
SERVINGS: 8 (YIELDS 20 CUPS)
6 slices bacon (optional)
4 stalks celery, sliced across at 1/4-inch intervals
1/2 large bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, washed, not peeled, and sliced into 1/4-inch disks
1 large Spanish onion, diced
10 cups water
3 dozen or more unshucked standard oysters, shells scrubbed
1 large red potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cups canned tomato puree
1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained and chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 bay leaf
Salt to taste
In a large stockpot over moderate heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, blot with paper towels, crumble, and refrigerate. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of bacon grease from the stockpot. If you elect not to use bacon, replace those 2 tablespoons of rendered fat with an equivalent amount of vegetable oil, butter, or margarine.
Add the celery, bell pepper, carrots, and onion to the fat. Sauté until the onion is translucent.
In a separate pot, combine the water and oysters. Cover and boil between a period of 15 and 20 minutes. Remove the oysters and permit them to cool. Discard those that have not opened, as they were deceased prior to the final plunge that deprived their fellow bivalves of a full life, are laden with sand, or perhaps encase a pearl. (If curiosity gets the better of you, open them and check.) Through a coffee filter placed in a sieve, strain the oyster liquor into the stockpot, changing the filter as necessary. Extract the oyster meat and incorporate it, along with the remaining ingredients and the reserved crumbled bacon, if using, into the pot. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 1/2 hours. Stir periodically.
Ladle the chowder into bowls or a tureen. Crown with additional bits of crumbled bacon.
Warren William Kessler
Warren G. Kessler, retired
Engine 268, F.D.N.Y.
Manhattan Fish Chowder
SERVINGS: 6
1/4 cup chopped bacon or salt pork
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups boiling water
1 can (16 ounces) whole tomatoes, undrained
1 cup peeled and diced potatoes
1/2 cup peeled and diced carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 pound fish fillets, cut into 1-inch pieces
Chopped fresh parsley
Fry the bacon until crisp in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook until tender. Add the water, tomatoes, potatoes, carrot, celery, ketchup, and seasonings. Cover and simmer 45 minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the fish. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes, until the fish flakes easily with a fork. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Don Schwerdt
Engine 4, Springfield, New Jersey
Copyright © 1996 by John Sineno
