Many years ago, when I was a child, a local fish and seafood distributor decided to open a restaurant as an adjunct to their fish market in Salt Lake City. It was called, “Bratton’s Seafood Grotto. Now, Salt Lake City is about as far as you can get from any ocean, as it is a part of the Great American Desert. It does, however, feature the Great Salt Lake, the largest inland body of water in the western United States. Not long after the Mormons colonized that part of the country in 1847, a story arose about a small whale being carted overland from the Pacific Ocean in the 1880s and released into the lake to swim freely about, entertaining the local residents.
I have never been able to verify that this actually took place, but stories abound about the poor critter spouting the extra-salty water from its blowhole as it swam hither and thither around this enormous shallow lake looking for a companion. Apparently, it endured the cruel winters in the region for some time and startled boaters that ventured out onto the lake. But, I digress. Now, desert dwellers long for the seashore and the tasty denizens of the deep, and so it came to pass that the Bratton’s Seafood Grotto became a city landmark, and people lined up at the doorway, waiting an hour or more to get inside and feast on fresh lobster, oysters, crabs, shrimp, halibut, and so forth, all at affordable prices.
My family was no different, and although we were not wealthy (my father was a game warden and conservationist), my mother always set aside a little money so that we could travel to Salt Lake City on occasion to sample the wares at Bratton’s. My personal favorite was the fried shrimp, a heaping plate of them served with French fries and Cole slaw. But, sometimes, mother had enough money to also purchase a bowl of clam chowder to go along with the shrimp. It was a meal to die for. Although Bratten’s closed their doors after 35 or 40 years of business, I still have a vivid memory of that wonderful chowder, and recently, the recipe was published in the Salt Lake City Tribune. So, I have decided to share this recipe with the readers of this blog so that they can enjoy this delicious world-class treat. If you can use fresh clams, all the better. Here it is:
Bratten’s Clam Chowder
2 (6½ ounce) cans minced clams
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced onion
2 cups peeled and diced potatoes
3/4 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
1 quart half and half (milk & cream)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt & Pepper to taste
Drain juice from the canned clams. Place diced celery, onions and potatoes in a pot. Pour clam liquid over the vegetables. Add more water, if necessary, so the vegetables are just covered with liquid. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until vegetables are just tender, about 15 minutes.
In a separate pan, melt butter, sprinkle in flour, whisking until the mixture is smooth. Stirring constantly slowly add half and half to the roux. Cook and stir with a wire whisk until mixture is thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables, juice and clams. Heat through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Servings » 8
Great stuff, I guarantee!
Oh, by the way, the whale may have been recently spotted near Antelope Island
