Serves 4

In a cold frying pan, add the cubed salt pork or bacon. Begin to heat gently to render the fat and crisp the pork. You may need to add a little cooking oil if your salt pork is lean. Cook the pork until crisp and remove to a paper towel to collect any extra fat. Leave around one tablespoon of the fat in the pan. Add one tablespoon of butter to the pork fat and melt-in. Add the onions, carrots, celery, and potatoes. Toss in the pork fat and butter, and cook 5 minutes. Open the cans of minced clams, draining the juice into the pan on top of vegetables. Set the minced clams aside. Season lightly with the “Cook’s Line” Seasoning (or salt and pepper), nutmeg, and fresh thyme. Cover the pan and let everything simmer gently for ten minutes or until the carrots and potatoes are tender. In a separate pan, combine ½ cup of butter and ½ cup of flour. Mix into a roux and cook gently for 5 minutes. Pour 1 quart of half and half along with the 8 ounces of clam juice into the tender vegetable pan. Begin to heat. Add the cooked roux to the pan while gently stirring. Cook the chowder until thickened. If the chowder is too thick, add milk to a desired creamy consistency. Before serving, add the minced clams, lump crab meat, and chopped shrimp to the chowder. Stir in 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar for extra flavor. Heat through and taste for any additional seasoning. Ladle the chowder into large bowls. Top with the cooked salt pork or bacon, add a whole shrimp, if desired, along with a good handful of your homemade oyster crackers. You’re welcome.

HOMEMADE OYSTER CRACKERS

Makes approximately 100 dime-sized crackers

In a food processor (you may also use a mixing bowl and your fingers or pastry cutter) add the flour, “Cook’s Line” Seasoning or salt, and baking powder. Give the processor a pulse or three to combine the ingredients. Add the cubed butter and pulse to “cut-in” the butter. Pulse to a coarse meal texture (think pie pastry). Next add water and again pulse until the dough clumps into larger pieces. Turn the crumbled dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form into a ball without overworking the dough. Cover and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Now, for cutting the small crackers: find something in your kitchen that is small and round, or square, or any shape you like; something dime or nickel size. I happened to use one of my cake decorating tips dipped in flour that worked well. Sauce caps would work too! Roll your dough out on a well-floured surface to approximately 1/8” thick, and begin cutting out the shapes. Pierce the center of each cracker so that the small crackers hold their round shape and do not “pillow.” I reversed the frosting tip that I was using as a cut-out and pierced the centers with the star tip.

Add the cut and pieced crackers to the lined sheet pan, allowing each cracker their own space. Depending on the size of your “small” sheet pan, you may have to bake the crackers in batches. Place the pan in the preheated oven, and bake 14-16 minutes or until dry and lightly golden. Allow the oyster crackers to cool completely before storing and/or covering. Of course, dumping them all into the middle of a hot bowl of chowder is perfectly acceptable, too.