Revenge is a twice-told tale: the pursuit of it, and the aftermath that follows. Throw a spiteful ghost into the mix and things begin to get rather complicated...
In Peter Straub’s Ghost Story, set in a wintry New England town, a collection of four old men (a.k.a. members of the Chowder Society) are haunted by their past and get together once a month to tell each other—yes, ghost stories—in an effort perhaps to absolve themselves of the grave accident they once caused. Let’s just say it doesn’t exactly work out for the poor fellows.
Adapted from fultonfishmarket.com
Serves Four
Ingredients
3 tablespoons butter
8 ounces thick-cut bacon, sliced crosswise
1 large onion, finely diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
4 small white potatoes, peeled and diced
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 ⅔ cups whole milk
2 cups fish or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
⅔ cup heavy cream
1 ½ pounds fresh clams, rinsed
½ cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Melt the butter in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the bacon and fry until golden and crisp, 6-8 minutes; remove to a plate lined with paper towels and cover with aluminum foil.
Add the onion, celery, garlic, potatoes, and a pinch of salt to the Dutch oven, sweating until starting to color, about 10 minutes.
Whisk in the cornstarch and cook for 2 minutes; whisk in the milk followed by the stock in a slow, steady stream until fully incorporated.
Add the bay leaves and bring the mixture to a simmer; cook steadily until the potatoes are very soft, 15-20 minutes.
Discard the bay leaves. Whisk in the cream; bring the chowder to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper; keep warm over very low heat.
Place the clams in a large saucepan set over high heat. Add the wine, cover the pan with a lid, and cook until the clams have steamed open, 3-4 minutes; discard any that don't open.
Drain the clams and leave to cool for 3 minutes. Pick the meat from the shells; stir the picked clam meat into the chowder along with the parsley and reserved bacon.
Serve straight away for best results.