This hearty New England Clam Chowder, or Chowdah as my Rhode Island friends and family say, is the perfect summer soup, but it is also the perfect soup to warm you when you get that first early fall chill.
This recipe combined with the Clam Cake recipe are recipes that really remind me of my summers growing up in Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts. Being down at the beach and heading to Aunt Carrie’s for a lunch of chowdah and clam cakes is a very clear memory for me. These days when I get back to Rhode Island I always try and stop at Iggy’s Clam Shack for their chowder and clam cakes.
Although this is called New England Clam Chowder, it can be found across the country, one of the best versions I have ever had was served in small sourdough bread loaf on the pier in San Francisco.
New England Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 dozen Topneck or Cherrystone clams / Quahogs
- ¼ lb Thick Cut Bacon
- 1 Large Diced Onion
- 2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
- 1 lb Diced Red Potatoes
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Fresh Thyme
- 1 cup Heavy Cream
- 2 tbsp Minced Fresh Parsley
- 4 cups Water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring the water to a boil in a large stockpot with a lid.
- Add clams to the boiling water and put the lid on.
- After 5 minutes start to check for opened clams and remove them from the pot and place them into a bowl. Continue checking the pot for opened clams until they have all opened. If after approximately 15 to 20 minutes there are still clams which have not opened, discard them as they may not be alive.
- Reserve the broth from the stockpot in a bowl or pitcher. If the stock is very dirty from sand in the clams, let the sand settle and ladle the broth off the top into the container.
- Remove the clam meat from the shells and place in a bowl. Use a knife to remove the muscle from the clamshells and add it in with the clam meat.
- In another stockpot add the bacon over medium heat and cook until crisp.
- Add the diced onion to the stockpot to cook until soft in the bacon grease.
- Add flour to the stockpot and stir until incorporated, let cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Slowly whisk in the reserved broth with the clam onions and bacon.
- Add thyme, bay leaf, and diced potatoes to the pot.
- Bring pot to a boil and cook for 15 -20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.
- Reduce the pot to a simmer and add the chopped clams, heavy cream, and minced parsley to the pot.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Right before serving, if you like a thicker chowder, you can make a slurry with ¼ cup of water and 2-3 tablespoons of cornstarch. Stir the slurry into the chowder and bring to a boil.
