Beach Chowder

[The Kitchen Goddess must have been all worn out from writing at the time of the original posting, in which she forgot to include the potatoes in the directions. It’s now corrected. Sorry about that!  –LSH]

I’ve spent the last four days on a “writing retreat” with my best friend, Joy, from high school. We lost touch for many years after graduation – we both left Texas, but she went west and I went east. But aside from a few minor details (she has one more marriage and three more degrees than I have), we’ve remained strikingly similar in our directions in life; and the fact that we both became writers still astonishes me, as neither of us had such inclinations as teenagers.

We go to a place called Port Aransas, a tiny fishing village at the north end of Mustang Island, off the Texas coast. It’s where we went to blow off steam in our teens, and aside from the movie theatre closing and a few decent restaurants finally appearing, not much there has changed. It’s still the sort of place where “dressing up” means a clean shirt and leather sandals instead of flip-flops. The sort of place where you can truly disconnect from the world at large.

It’s never clear how much work we actually achieve on these jaunts, which we’ve been making annually for the past 15 years. Sometimes we go for a week, sometimes our schedules allow no more than a few days. And some trips are more productive than others. Between mandatory visits to the souvenir shops, walks on the beach, and margaritas or wine at night, we have to really concentrate to get any writing done.

Another constant is Joy’s no-fuss clam chowder. Delicious and easy. Excellent even in warmer months, but particularly good right now. The beach was cold this year – so cold that more than one group of fellow beachcombers pronounced us brave [read “crazy”] for padding barefoot along in the shallow water. They were right.

Joy’s Beach Chowder

2 carrots, cut in 1/4-inch coins
2 celery ribs, cut in 1/4-inch pieces
2 small onions, cut into ½-inch dice
2 medium-sized potatoes, cut into 3/4-inch dice
2 Tbl olive oil
2 small (6.5 oz) cans minced clams, drained and juice reserved
seasoning salt and lemon pepper, to taste
2 14.5-oz cans diced tomatoes
2 8-oz bottles clam juice
1 can condensed New England Clam Chowder


Saute onion, carrots, celery, and potatoes in olive oil, about 3 minutes. Add the two bottles of clam juice and the reserved juice from the minced clams, turn the heat down and let simmer another 5 minutes. By now the vegetables should be soft enough to stick a fork into. Season to taste with seasoning salt (or regular salt) and lemon pepper.

Add the tomatoes, the minced clams, and the can of condensed New England Clam Chowder (for thickening). Simmer another 10 minutes until flavors are blended. Serves 4.

Labor of Love

My son and daughter-in-law are having a baby. And when I say “having,” I mean as I write this post. So naturally, I have to find something to do while I wait nervously, and this post is it. My husband, Grumpy, has already called twice from the golf course (remember, we’re in Texas, which is a great place to be in January), and he’s only on the 11th hole.

Hardly anything would convince me to visit New Jersey this time of year, but the arrival of my first grandchild qualifies as that anything. So I’ll be heading north soon, and have promised to cook dinner for the little family for a week. I’ve been rummaging through my recipes for food that I can comfortably fix in their kitchen, to avoid spending all my time looking for a slotted spoon, and a few recipes I can make to be frozen for when I leave. I’m remembering how difficult life was with a newborn – realizing at 4pm that you’re still in your nightgown and haven’t got anything for dinner and how the thought of dressing both you and the baby for a trip to the store was only slightly less painful than having all your fingernails pulled out.

One of the dishes I know I’ll be making is a fish casserole I call Lee’s Fennel Flounder. You don’t have to use flounder – any mild, not too thick whitefish will do; in fact, the last time I made it, I think I used mahi-mahi and simply baked it a bit longer. Here’s what I like best about this dish: it’s easy, relatively foolproof in that a few minutes more or less in the cooking doesn’t hurt the flavor (as long as you’re sure the fish is done), and it’s one of the few fish dishes that still taste good as leftovers.

Lee’s Fennel Flounder 

For the mirepoix:

2 Tbl olive oil

1 Tbl butter

2 large carrots, diced

1 med onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

1½  pounds flounder filet

1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced

tomatoes – about 2 c chopped (fresh tomatoes – not canned)

Heat oil/butter in a skillet over medium heat and add carrots, onion, celery, stirring frequently for 7-8 mins. Spread mirepoix on bottom of a medium-sized (approx. 2-quart) casserole dish. Arrange half the fish in one layer, and sprinkle with half the fennel. Arrange the rest of the fish in the next layer and top with remaining fennel. Spread tomatoes evenly on top. Season with garlic salt and lemon pepper. Bake, covered, at 400º for 30-35 mins, then remove cover and broil until the tomatoes get slightly toasted.

[Kitchen Goddess note: I have made this recipe with a 4-inch deep casserole dish, and with a low, flat dish. If your casserole dish is low and flat, you may only need one layer of the fish and one layer of fennel. Either way works.]