The happiest of holidays

One more chowder recipe, the announcement of a Major Market Employee of the Month, instructions for Shady Gables’ White Cherry Truffles…and heartfelt wishes for a happy, healthy holiday season.

In Boston there may not be an official restaurant for Clam Chowder, as it is served all over town. Still, my vote would be for the Durgin-Park Market Dining Room just across from Quincy Market and a stone’s throw from Faneuil Hall.

Food has been served in this upstairs dining hall since about 1742. It has been a restaurant for about 135 years – or, as said on the menu, “established before you were born” and “where your great-grandfather dined a century ago.”

Well, it wasn’t a century ago when I was a Durgin-Park, but several years have passed since I sat amongst strangers on a bench and had my first chowder there. As I recall it was so thick the spoon stood straight up in the bowl unaided by human hands.

I could hardly wait to return. I was not disappointed. Their chowder was the best of the trip!

Obviously I had to buy their cookbook, “The Durgin-Park Cookbook” by Jane and Michael Stern.

From the book, “[The chowder’s] character is based on the simple co-mingling of ocean-sweet clams and dairy-rich half and half with a thick ribbon of melted butter to tie the two together.”

Durgin-Park Clam Chowder

4 lbs. chopped clams

46 oz. clam juice

6 tsp. celery salt

6 tsp. white pepper

6 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco sauce (to taste)

4-6 whole potatoes

1 lb. butter

3 cups flour

1 qt. half and half

Place clams and clam juice in a stockpot. Add celery salt, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce to taste.

Peel and dice the potatoes. Add to the clams. Bring to a boil, lower the heat to simmer and cook slowly. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Gradually add the flour to make a white roux. Cook for 15-20 minutes on low heat.

Whisk the roux into the clam mixture and add the half and half. Cook slowly to blend all the ingredients. Makes 10-12 servings.

The week before last we told you about these truffles…and then omitted the recipe. Here it is.

Reba Silvey of Shady Gables invented these truffles “to have something easy, bright and pretty for our tea platters.”

Shady Gables

White Cherry Truffles

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 ½ cup powdered sugar

1 ¼ cup vanilla wafer crumbs

¼ tsp salt

½ cup chopped maraschino cherries, well drained

More vanilla wafer crumbs for coating

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar and first amount of vanilla wafer crumbs, salt and cherries. Add more powdered sugar if needed to make the dough firm.

Shape into a log 1 ½ inches to 2 inches in diameter. Roll in wafer crumbs to coat. Chill overnight and slice into thin slices to serve.