East Coast Chowder

Brown Butter Spread

Butter always tastes good but for a real treat try browning it first. You’ll be amazed at how much flavour this simple transformation adds! This spread is great with toast, pancakes or anywhere else you enjoy a bit of butter.

Brown Butter Spread

Four sticks of room temperature butter (sixteen ounces)

Toss one stick of butter into a small saucepot and heat it until it melts. Because butter contains as much as twenty percent water it will begin to steam and foam. Once the water has evaporated the foam will subside and the butter’s temperature will begin to rise past the boiling point of water. The milk fat solids that make up one or two percent of the butter will then begin to brown.

Continue heating as the butter begins foaming a second time. Swirl it gently, watching the color, until it turns golden brown and releases the aroma of toasting nuts. Immediately pour the browned butter into a bowl to stop it from browning further. Cool to room temperature. Be patient this will take at least an hour.

Whip the remaining butter in a stand mixer then drizzle in the room temperature brown butter. Whip until fluffy.

Frozen Butter Biscuits

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Makes 8-10 large biscuits

These are my gold-standard biscuits. My secret? Frozen butter! It’s an old pastry chef’s trick that has served me well. Butter tastes great and when it’s frozen it becomes very easy to shred into the dough. After you try these a few times you’ll be able to bake them in under twenty minutes – and clean up the mess too!

Frozen Butter Biscuits

Four cups of all-purpose flour
Two large spoonfuls of baking powder
Two small spoonfuls of salt
Two sticks of frozen butter, eight ounces
A cup and a half of milk
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until they’re evenly mixed. Grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients. Shred it through the large holes of a box grater or potato grater directly into the flour. Toss gently with your fingers until the butter shards are spread evenly throughout the flour.

Pour the milk into the flour mixture and stir with an upside down wooden spoon to form a dough mass. The handle of the spoon is gentler on the dough. Fold the dough over a few times with your hands until all the ingredients come together. If necessary add a few spoonfuls more milk to help gather up any stray flour. This kneading will strengthen the dough a bit but not enough to toughen the biscuits. It will also help them form a crisp crust when they bake.
Pat the dough out on a lightly floured cutting board forming a loose round shape. Cut into wedges – like a pie - or any other shape you’re in the mood for. Position on a baking sheet; sprinkle on a bit of coarse salt and coarsely ground pepper. Bake for fifteen minutes or so. You’ll know they’re done when they turn golden brown. Enjoy at once with lots of brown butter!

My Favourite Clam Chowder

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Dinner for four with leftovers

There are many ways to make a traditional clam chowder and just as many stories about its true origins. The best recipes are always the simplest and this is my favourite for chowder. It’s the one I make at home. It features classic easy-to-find ingredients; it’s a cinch to make and best of all its tastes great! The chowder can be made a day or two in advance and reheated prior to serving. Its flavour actually benefits from resting overnight.

My Favourite Clam Chowder

8 slices of bacon, chopped
1 medium cooking onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, diced
1/2 cup of chardonnay or other white wine
1 cup of cream
1 cup of milk
2 five-ounce cans of clam meat
2 large bay leafs
1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
1 cup of grated baking potato
1 can of unsweetened evaporated milk
1/4 cup of chopped flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper

Brown the bacon until crisp in a thick-bottomed soup pot. Pour off half of the fat. Add the onions and celery with a splash of water and sauté for a few minutes until soft.
Add the white wine, cream, milk and the juice from the clams (reserve the actual clams for the end so they don’t toughen). Add the bay leaf, thyme and grated potato; bring the mixture to a slow simmer. Continue simmering for fifteen minutes until the grated potato softens, releasing its starches and thickening the chowder base.
Add the reserved clam meat, evaporated milk and parsley. Bring back to heat. Taste the chowder and add enough salt and pepper to season it. Serve immediately with your favourite biscuits!

Sherry Maple Vinaigrette

Ease of Preparation: Easy
Makes two cups

The sharp musky flavours of sherry vinegar are a perfect match for the sweet woodiness of maple syrup. Together, they flavour a great all-purpose dressing for any day of the week.

Sherry Maple Vinaigrette

One-half cup of sherry vinegar
One-half cup of maple syrup
A cup of extra virgin olive oil
A spoonful of Dijon mustard
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Mix everything together until smooth vinaigrette forms. A blender, food processor or an old-fashioned whisk and bowl all work well but I prefer my immersion blender. It’s easier to clean up!



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