New England Clam Chowder
The iconic New England classic — a thick, creamy chowder loaded with tender clams, smoky bacon, and silky potatoes. Rich, comforting, and deeply satisfying on a cold day.
Ingredients
- 800 gcanned clams with juice
- 180 gthick-cut bacon
- 1 large onion
- 3 celery stalks
- 3 garlic cloves
- 60 gunsalted butter
- 45 gall-purpose flour
- 480 mlwhole milk
- 240 mlheavy cream
- 240 mlclam juice or fish stock
- 700 gYukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tspfresh thyme leaves
- 1 tspsalt
- ½ tspwhite pepper
- 2 tbspfresh parsley
Method
- Drain canned clams, reserving all the juice. Set clams aside. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook diced bacon until the fat renders and the bacon turns crispy, about 6–8 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Add butter to the bacon drippings. Sauté onion and celery over medium heat until softened and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir constantly for 2 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. This creates the thickening base.
- Gradually whisk in the reserved clam juice and additional clam juice or fish stock, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add milk and heavy cream, whisking to keep smooth.
- Add potatoes, bay leaves and thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer (do not boil hard or the cream will break). Cook 15–18 minutes until potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a fork.
- Add the reserved clams and half the crispy bacon. Simmer very gently for just 3–4 minutes — clams toughen quickly if overcooked. Remove bay leaves. Season generously with salt and white pepper.
- Ladle into warm bowls. Top each serving with remaining crispy bacon and fresh parsley. Serve with oyster crackers or crusty sourdough bread.
FAQ
Both are correct — they are simply different traditions. New England (white) chowder is creamy, made with milk or cream, potatoes, and bacon, originating in Massachusetts and by far the most popular. Manhattan (red) chowder is tomato-based, created in early 20th-century New York restaurants by Portuguese and Italian immigrants. There is also Rhode Island chowder (clear broth) and Long Island chowder (a hybrid). The debate over which is 'correct' never ends — in Boston, the tomato version is taken as a genuine insult.
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Comments (1)
I always make a larger batch of this new england clam chowder and freeze individual portions. It reheats beautifully and having homemade soup in the freezer is one of the best investments of a Sunday afternoon.