Cooking to Beat the Clock:
Delicious, Inspired Meals in 15 Minutes

This week's cooking lesson on my
Cooking to Beat the Clock segment
on A Chef's Table is about Stocks and the recipe is
Manhattan Clam Chowder.

 Stock in Trade

 Today, in the world of cell phones, and laptop computers, few people have time to make chicken, beef, or fish stock from scratch. Fortunately, canned stocks or broths are widely available,  and should be a part of any quick-cooking pantry. 

I use canned chicken stock most often because it is versatile and comes in so many variations. I prefer reduced or low-sodium chicken stock because canned stocks can be salty.

 Chicken stocks are great for quick soups. Heat the chicken stock in one pan, while you sauté vegetables in another.  Then combine the two when the stock comes to a boil.

 Canned stocks can also be used for quick pan sauces. Coat chicken or veal cutlets in flour, then saute them in oil or butter. Once the meat is cooked, deglaze the pan with chicken stock (and perhaps some wine) until about half the liquid evaporates and a sauce forms. Beef stock can be used with heartier meats like beef and lamb.

 If you’re watching your waistline, fat-free stocks can be used in place of oil or butter to "saute" onions, garlic, and other vegetables. In my recipe for low-fat pasta with broccoli raab and feta cheese, garlic is simmered in chicken stock while the pasta and broccoli raab cook together in another pot. Then the cooked pasta is tossed with the garlic-flavored stock, some hot pepper flakes, and feta cheese.

 While bottled clam juice is great for making linguine with clam sauce, you don’t have to restrict it to clam dishes. For my 15-minut e bouillabaisse, I make a quick tomato sauce with garlic, onions and tomatoes. Then I add bottled clam juice, ground fennel, and saffron. When it comes to a boil, I add the seafood.

 Stocks can also be made from bouillon cubes or pastes in a jar. One advantage pastes have over canned stocks is that you only use what you need, mixed with water. The rest keeps in the refrigerator for months. (By the way, if you have leftover stock, pour it into an ice cube tray. Once frozen, the cubes can be popped out and kept in a freezer bag.)

Clam chowder purists may sneer at my red-colored Manhattan clam chowder because, they claim, clam chowder has to be white, as is New England clam chowder. But because I use tomatoes instead of cream, Manhattan clam chowder is less fatty. And with bottled clam juice, you can make it in a flash.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

• 2 large Yukon gold or red skin potatoes(1 pound total), scrubbed
• Salt
• 4 ounces bacon (low-sodium, if possible), about 6 strips
• 1 small to medium onion, 4 to 8 ounces
• 1 rib celery
• 1 small green bell pepper, 6 ounces or less
• Three 8-ounce bottles clam juice
• Three 6 1/2-ounce-cans chopped clams
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 11/4 cups crushed tomatoes
• 4 bay leaves
• 3 or 4 sprigs parsley, preferably flat-leaf, enough for 1/4 cup of chopped leaves
• Freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

 1)While the hot-water tap runs, quarter each potato (do not peel) lengthwise, cut crosswise into pieces about 3/8 inch wide. Put the potatoes and salt to taste in large saucepan and barely cover the potatoes with hot tap water. Cover and cook over high heat for 10 minutes. Drain.

 2)While the potatoes cook, put a 12-inch saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat, then cut the bacon crosswise into 1-inch wide pieces. Add to the pan. Peel and quarter the onion. Trim the celery rib and cut crosswise into 4 pieces. Put the onion and celery in a food processor and pulse just until chopped. (Or chop by hand.) Add to the pan and stir.

 3)Cut the top from the bell pepper. Stand the pepper upright and cut down inside the pepper’s four walls, separating them from the center core and seeds. Put the walls of the bell pepper into the food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. (Or chop by hand.) Add to the pan and stir.

 4)Open the bottled clam juice and canned clams. Chop the thyme leaves if using fresh. Add the clam juice, clams, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaves to the pan. Cover and bring to a boil.

 5)Add the potatoes, cover, and boil until the potatoes are just tender, 3 to 5 minutes. Meanwhile, chop the parsley, add to the pan and stir well. Taste the soup and adjust for salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Discard the bay leaves and serve. Serves 4

 Per serving: 438 calories, 27 grams protein, 35 grams carbohydrate, 21 grams fat, 6.4 grams saturated fat, 72 mg cholesterol, 1070 mg sodium.