The oysters at Hog Island may be splendid, but I don’t eat
raw fish, so you won’t find an oyster review here. No, this is about the best
clam chowder I’ve ever consumed. Hog Island’s Manila Clam Chowder is not the flour-thickened
mush with tiny canned clam bits and too many potatoes that most places serve--the
kind that’s been sitting on the stove staying warm for hours. Instead, you get
an exquisite bowl of clams in the shell, surrounded by cream with red potatoes,
butter, a little bacon, and seasoning that is perfect, cooked up while you
wait.
Hog Island at the Napa Oxbow was busy at lunchtime, but this
was not my first round of their chowder, so I ignored my hunger, summoned my
patience, and watched cook Miguel do the honors. For each serving he grabbed
from cold storage a couple of handfuls of clams and tossed them in a buttery
sauté pan with a scoop of cooked potatoes, leeks and herbs. Once the mixture
was nice and hot, he tossed it to blend, then added the cream and let that
bubble up before placing all with great attention into a bowl. Since I’ve never had chowder like this anywhere else,
including New England, I asked the very French chef Rémy where the recipe
originates. He referred me to the restaurant chain’s website.
I exchanged
emails with the folks at the farm in Marshall, a little over an hour west of Napa
and heard back from Brenna, who informed me the recipe came from one of the
founders, John Finger, more than thirty years ago. John was from Long Island and
while planting his oyster beds in Tomales Bay, he duplicated the chowder his
mother had made: clams from the sea and veggies from the garden. Hog Island
still follows the philosophy of fresh produce and seafood. The recipe for their
chowder can be found at hogislandoysters.com/oysters/recipes. And even if you think
you’ve had superb clam chowder elsewhere, give this a try when you’re in Napa
or San Francisco. You won’t be disappointed.
