Carolina Chowder

Created by executive chef Vincent Drayton and chef Matt Karas at Elijah's Restaurant in Wilmington. From “Seaboard To Sideboard,” published by the Junior League of Wilmington

1 1⁄2 cups finely chopped onions
3⁄4 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup butter
1 1⁄2 cups flour
1 (32-ounce) can clam juice, heated
8 cups milk, scalded
1 cup dry cocktail sherry
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
24 cherrystone clams, steamed, chopped
1 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined
1 (8-ounce) can crab meat
1 pound bay scallops (optional)
8 to 10 small red potatoes, chopped, steamed

Saute the onions and celery in the butter in a skillet until translucent. Stir in the flour. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture has the appearance of wet sand, stirring constantly and adding additional butter if needed. Remove from the heat. Add the clam juice, milk and cocktail sherry 1 at a time, whisking constantly until smooth. Return to the heat. Bring to boil, whisking constantly. Add the thyme, Tabasco sauce, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat. Simmer until the flour has cooked out of the chowder skimming the top several times. Add the clams, shrimp, crabmeat and bay scallops. Cook until tender. Stir in the potatoes and adjust the seasonings. May add additional milk or hot clam juice if the chowder is too thick.

Yield: 1 gallon

Note: Do not substitute cooking sherry for the dry sherry. May use a combination of hot clam juice and chicken stock. May substitute half-and-half for 1⁄3 of the milk.