CHUCK’S CHOWDER – Like Chuck Muer’s restaurants
By Gloria Pitzer, as seen in… Gloria Pitzer’s Cookbook – Best Of The Recipe Detective (Balboa Press; Jan. 2018, p. 131). [A revised reprint of Gloria Pitzer’s Better Cookery Cookbook (Secret RecipesTM, St. Clair, MI; May 1983, 3rd Edition).]
Chowder was the magic word at Muer’s restaurants across the country. It was red, “tomatoey”, spicy and prepared-from-scratch in their kitchens with the guidance of their executive Chef, Larry Pagliara, who created the many unusual dishes that accompanied their fresh fish and seafood menu selections. In taking some shortcuts to imitate this favorite soup at home, I encountered some good-natured ribbing from Chuck Muer, who was also one of our neighbors here in St. Clair. He didn’t think that I could “sleuth-out” the secret of their famous chowder – but, I did come close – hook, line and sinker!
INGREDIENTS:
2 cans (10 ounces each) beef broth
2 cups bottled Clamato juice
3 cups strong, black tea
2 cans (1 pound each) stewed tomatoes, cut-up quite small
2 long ribs celery, chopped fine
2/3 cup green onions, scissor-snipped
¼ teaspoon each: chili powder, paprika, season salt, pepper
1 teaspoon onion powder
½ cup bottled Bloody Mary Mix (non-alcoholic)
6 ½-ounce can fancy packed white meat tuna in Springwater,
flaked to separate tuna meat with a fork
8-ounce can fancy packed salmon, bones removed and flaked
INSTRUCTIONS:
Put it all in a 3-quart sauce pan, just as listed. Cover and simmer 30 minutes on lowest heat or until mixture is reduced in volume to a thick “sauce-like” mixture. A dash or two of dry red wine, Chianti or burgundy, is also good in this soup. Serves 6 to 8.
See also…
