Authentic St. Augustine Minorcan Clam Chowder

Serves: 8–10

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon, diced
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 green bell pepper, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 4 cups clam juice
• 2 cups seafood stock (or chicken stock)
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1½ pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional but common today)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 bay leaves

Seafood

• 2 dozen fresh littleneck clams (or two 6½-ounce cans chopped clams with their juice)
• 1 pound fresh white fish (grouper, snapper, or cod), cut into bite-sized pieces
• ½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined (optional but traditional in many local homes)

The Datil Pepper

Choose one option depending on your heat preference:

1. Traditional: 2–3 fresh Datil peppers, finely minced
2. Milder: 1 tablespoon Datil pepper sauce
3. Hot: Both fresh Datils and a splash of Datil hot sauce

Finish

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Juice of half a lemon

Additional Datil pepper sauce for serving

Oyster crackers or crusty Cuban bread

Instructions

1. In a large Dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon and leave about 2
   tablespoons of the drippings.
2. Add the onion, celery, and both bell peppers. Cook for about 8–10 minutes until softened.
3. Stir in the garlic and minced Datil peppers. Cook for another minute.
4. Add the butter. Once melted, stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes to make a light roux.
5. Whisk in the clam juice and seafood stock gradually until smooth.
6. Stir in:
   ◦ crushed tomatoes
   ◦ diced tomatoes
   ◦ tomato paste
   ◦ potatoes
   ◦ thyme
   ◦ paprika
   ◦ bay leaves
   ◦ salt and pepper
   7. Simmer gently for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.
   8. Add the fish and cook for about 5 minutes.
   9. Stir in the shrimp and clams. Cook just until the shrimp turn pink and the clams are
   cooked through (or 2–3 minutes if using canned clams).
   10. Remove the bay leaves.
   11. Stir in the parsley, lemon juice, and reserved bacon.
   12. Let the chowder rest for 10–15 minutes before serving. Like many Minorcan dishes, it’s
   often even better the next day.

Authentic Minorcan Tips

• The defining flavor is the fruity heat of the Datil pepper-not overwhelming spice, but a
  sweet, peppery warmth.
• Fresh local clams are the traditional choice, though shrimp and local fish are common
  additions in family recipes.
• The chowder should be brothy rather than thick like a New England chowder.
• Bell peppers add sweetness that balances the acidity of the tomatoes and the heat of the
  Datils.
• Serve with oyster crackers or warm Cuban bread and plenty of Datil pepper sauce on the
  side so each person can adjust the heat.

This version closely reflects the style served in many long-standing St. Augustine homes and
restaurants, balancing the bright tomato broth, fresh seafood, and unmistakable Datil pepper
flavor that has become a hallmark of Minorcan cooking.