The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-04
THE MAKING OF cHowDERs.

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THE MAKING OF cHoWDERs.
ITO make a good chowder and have it
quite nice.
Dispense with sweet marjoram, parsley
and spice;
Mace, pepper and salt are now wanted
alone,
To make the stew eat well and stick to
the bone.
Some pork is sliced thin and put into the
pot etc.
Thus begins an old recipe for chow
der, dated 1884. And even in those days
there seemed to be a diversity of opinion
as well as tastes. For the verse goes
on to say, in reference to cooking the
pork-"some say you must turn it, some
say you must not. But all agree that it
must be added to the chowder after all
the other ingredients, designated. are
placed in layers in the pot
Potatoes must be placed in the bottom,
and in order to "eat slick must be
sliced quarter of an inch thick. The
crackers (ship biscuiO must be split open
and given a soak" The writer assures
US that if we will add the ingredients in
regular rotation, we will have dish fit
for the best of the nation.
Chowders are generally classed among
soups, but are in reality sailors fish
stew of very ancient origin.
1t has never ceased to be q very popu-
lar dish with all who become acquainted
with its merits. In the hands of various
cooks, quite ignorant OF the real mean
ing of a chowder, it has undergone many
changes and alleged improvements and
we have now as many kinds of chow
der as we have religions. We associate
clam chowder with New England and
coast cookery, and undoubtedly the boat
men do prepare this typical marine dish
better than the landsman. Necessity sug-
gested the addition of fresh fish to the
sailors everlasting dish of salt fat pork,
potatoes, onions. ship biscuit and water.
which became very monotonous on their
long sea voyages. They required an &C.
casional change in the flavor of the dish
as we'll as the addition, for healths sake,
of fresh animal food and fresh meats
were, of course, out of the question dur
ing the greater part of their voyages on
the seas highway. Thus originated the
chowder, the name probably suggested
to the sailor, if not borrowed, from tho
Chinese chow-chow, mixture.
Chowders are tempting and appetizing
and when their use is not mistaken, they
are very economical They are made of
cheap materials that are at the same
time very nutritious. Their food value
is considerable and they must be regard
ed as stews when arranging a menu; al
though it is quite proper to serve them
as first or separate course correspond
ing to soup, when other viands are few
and proportionately low in nutritive
value But they can, insno wise, answer
the purpose of dinner soup which is
intended merely as an introductory to
the meal and intended to prepare the
way for solid and more slowly digested
foods. Although the chowder is consid-
cred a meat course in itself, soup must
not be served with same meal, for OBJ
vious reasons.
French Fisherman's ChoWder.
Put quarter of cup of butter or good
clarified dripping in a stewpan and when
melted add three ounces of sifted -four
and stir until smooth and bubbling, then
cut the meat carefully from a founder
or other fish of firm flesh and put the
bones and trimmings in the soup with
a bay leaf two cloves, teaspoonful Of
essence of anchovy, or some we'll season.
ed table sauce; little cayenne, a tea
spoonful of sugar and three teaspoon
fuls of salt; unless you use sailed soup
stock. Let it boil rapidly for ten min
utes; skim if any fat arises. Cut the
fish into neat pieces and lay in stew
pan wit ha tablespoonful of finely chop
ped parsley and half as much white po-
tato, slice thick as you have fish. Strain
the STOCK over this and add a pint of
warm milk and little cream if you have
ii on hand; let cook slowly until the po-
tatoes are Just tender, but keep their
shape. Oyster liquor or clam broth may
be used instead of the stock or water.
In that case add the hot milk at the very
last, when potatoes are done, and boil
up once. and serve.
Congress ChoWder.
A writer describes how Daniel Webster
introduced this fish chowder to the
Washingtonians. He sent to Boston for
some rock cod. salt pork and Boston
crackers. Firse he fried his scraps OF
pork in a large kettle until all the fat
was fried out, then deposited successive
layers of potato, fish, onion and crack
ers with seasoning in between until the
kettle was full, then added two quarts
Of milk and gIeefully set it over the fire
made on the bank of the Potomac fishing
grounds The chowder was guaranteed
a success and was accompanied with
Mansfield punch" The effect Of the lat
ter proved rather disastrous to some of
the party.
New England Fish Chowder.
This is similar to the Congress chow
Ger, but it is more explicit. Slice thi~
quarter ia pound OF salt pork and n ,
in a large. middleton iron pot until
a light brown. Then take it out of the
fat and put aside for future use. While
the pork is frying peel and slice quarter
of an inch thick ten medium sized pota-
toes and two large onions, which should
he fried brown with the pork snd removed