Name: New England Clam Chowder
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American South
Ingredients: 4 dozen fresh clams (littlenecks or cherrystones), scrubbed — OR 3 cans (10oz each) chopped clams in juice; 4 strips thick-cut bacon or salt pork, diced; 1 large onion, diced; 3 stalks celery, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1.5 lbs), peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes; 2 cups clam juice (from fresh clams or bottled); 2 cups heavy cream; 1 cup whole milk; 2 bay leaves; 1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried); 2 tbsp unsalted butter; Salt and white pepper; Oyster crackers and chopped fresh chives to serve

Creamy, thick, and loaded with tender clams and potato chunks in a smoky bacon broth. Boston's obsession since the 18th century — the soup that defines New England winters.

The Cultural Story

New England clam chowder is one of the oldest continuously made dishes in America, with written recipes dating to the 1750s. The clam chowder wars are long-standing: New England (cream-based) versus Manhattan (tomato-based) versus Rhode Island (clear broth) — and the debate has been fierce enough that in 1939 a Maine state legislator introduced a bill to outlaw tomatoes in chowder. The cream version won the national consciousness largely because of Ye Olde Union Oyster House in Boston, which has been serving it since 1826, and because the New England version is simply the best argument for cold weather food that exists. The word "chowder" comes from the French "chaudière" — the cauldron in which Breton fishermen made communal fish stews when they came ashore. The tradition traveled with French Canadian settlers down the Atlantic coast. In New England, the cod and haddock of the original gave way to quahog clams — the thick-shelled hard clams of Cape Cod whose sweet, briny meat is the entire point of the soup. Get good clams. Use their liquor. Do not use flour as a thickener — use potatoes.

Ingredients

4 dozen fresh clams (littlenecks or cherrystones), scrubbed — OR 3 cans (10oz each) chopped clams in juice
4 strips thick-cut bacon or salt pork, diced
1 large onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1.5 lbs), peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes
2 cups clam juice (from fresh clams or bottled)
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried)
2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt and white pepper
Oyster crackers and chopped fresh chives to serve

Instructions

1If using fresh clams: steam in 1 cup water in a covered pot over high heat until they just open, 5–8 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Remove clam meat from shells, chop roughly, and reserve all the liquid — strain through a fine sieve to remove any sand.
2In a large heavy pot over medium heat, cook bacon until the fat is fully rendered and the pieces are crispy. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pot.
3In the bacon fat, cook onion and celery over medium heat until completely soft, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, cook 1 minute.
4Add potatoes, clam juice (from your clams plus enough bottled to make 2 cups total), bay leaves, and thyme. Bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are completely tender, about 15 minutes.
5Use the back of a spoon to crush 1/4 of the potato cubes against the side of the pot — this releases starch and thickens the chowder without flour.
6Add cream and milk. Return to a gentle simmer — do not boil once cream is in. Season with salt and white pepper.
7Add clam meat. Simmer just 2–3 minutes — clams toughen with overcooking.
8Add butter. Stir until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning.
9Ladle into bowls. Top with the crispy bacon bits, fresh chives, and a grind of black pepper. Serve immediately with oyster crackers on the side. The chowder should be thick, creamy, and loaded — not brothy.

New England Clam Chowder

The Cultural Story

Ingredients

Instructions

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