Instant Pot Manhattan Clam Chowder Pressure Cooker Recipe

Instant Pot Manhattan Clam Chowder Pressure Cooker Recipe

Ingredients

SERVES 6 to 8 – Cooker: 5- to 7-quart – Time: 7 minutes at HIGH pressure

• 1 (1-pound) container shucked clams with juice, or frozen clams, thawed (juices reserved) and rinsed, or 3 (6.5-ounce) cans minced clams, undrained
• 2 to 3 slices bacon or pancetta, to taste, coarsely chopped
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 3 medium ribs celery with leaves, diced
• 1 medium carrot, cut into ½-inch dice (1 cup)
• 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed of stalks, cored, and chopped (about 2 cups)
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme or 2 teaspoons Old Bay seafood seasoning
• 2 pinches cayenne pepper
• 1¼ pounds red or Yukon Gold potatoes, left unpeeled and cut into ½-inch dice
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in juice, juices reserved, tomatoes chopped or crushed
• 3 cups bottled clam juice or Fresh Fish Stock, or as needed
• 2 cups chicken broth
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• chopped fresh flatleaf parsley, for garnish.
• a very fruity extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling.

Method

1. Drain the clams through a strainer and add the drained liquid to the other liquids as part of the clam juice proportions; you want 3 cups total
2. Chop the clams if needed and set aside
3. In a 5- to 7-quart pressure cooker, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp and the fat is released
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer it to paper towels to drain
5. If the bacon hasn’t rendered 3 tablespoons fat, top it off with butter or oil
6. Add the onion and cook, stirring a few times until it begins to soften, about 3 minutes
7. Add the celery, carrot, fennel, thyme, and cayenne and cook for a moment more
8. Add the potatoes, reserved bacon, and tomatoes with their juices
9. Gradually pour in the clam juice and broth; it will just cover the vegetables
10. Close and lock the lid
11. Set the burner heat to high
12. When the cooker reaches HIGH pressure, reduce the burner heat as low as you can and still maintain HIGH pressure
13. Set a timer to cook for 7 minutes
14. Remove the pot from the heat
15. Open the cooker with the Natural Release method; let stand for 10 minutes
16. Quick Release any remaining pressure
17. Be careful of the steam as you remove the lid
18. Add the clams and bring to a simmer over medium heat to just heat through
19. Taste for salt and pepper
20. Ladle into bowls and serve hot, sprinkled with parsley and drizzled with a swirl of olive oil
21. Manhattan Clam Chowder with Fresh Steamed Clams: Substitute 36 fresh quahog or Long Island hard-shelled clams (which are smaller), scrubbed, for the clams called for above
22. Place a trivet and steamer rack or basket in a 6- to 8-quart pressure cooker
23. Add water to fill just even with the level of the rack
24. Place the clams on the rack, making sure the pot is no more than half full
25. If you have too many clams, steam in two equal batches; use the same steaming liquid for the second batch
26. Close and lock the lid
27. Set the burner heat to high
28. When the cooker reaches HIGH pressure, reduce the burner heat as low as you can and still maintain HIGH pressure
29. Set a timer to cook for 3 minutes
30. Open the cooker with the Quick Release method
31. Remove the opened clams with a slotted spoon or tongs to another bowl to cool slightly
32. Line a colander with a paper towel and set it over another bowl to strain the hot liquid and capture any unwanted sand
33. Reserve the strained liquid, which you will use instead of the bottled clam juice
34. Remove the meat from the cooled clams to a small bowl; discard the shells
35. Add any accumulated juice to the strained liquid
36. Coarsely chop the clams
37. Set aside
38. Follow the recipe above as directed from Step 2

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