New England Clam Chowder
Even though I consider myself a Low Country chef by training, I am a Proud New Englander by birth and upbringing. One thing I have noticed about the 44 states that are not New England, they cannot do clam chowder.
Now please don't write to me about your Manhattan, or Chesapeake Bay chowders; I'm not talking about you or your amazing cuisine. I'm talking about all the mediocre chain restaurants (and a few very nice upscale places too) that absolutely butcher one of my favorite foods on Earth.
There has been a trend here in American to over-thicken creamy soups and turn them into a textural nightmares resembling pudding. It's disgusting, and it NEEDS TO STOP! Soup is supposed to be a liquid, not a semi-solid. No soup has suffered from this trend more than my beloved clam chowder. So I am here to tell you, dear readers, that clam chowder-while creamy-is definitely not "thick" like gravy.
The recipe below is the result of several recipes that I inherited from the ladies in my family back in Salem, MA. The first thing you will notice when you make this is that the broth, while satisfying, is not gloppy or super thick. The second thing you'll see is there there are tiny, glistening bits of melted butter floating on the surface of your chowder. This is how you know that you have done it the right way!
I did take the shortcut of using canned clams instead of fresh ones, because I now live in eastern California and fresh clams are hard to come by. If you'd like to use fresh clams, I have included instructions for you at the bottom of the recipe. Otherwise, it is as close to authentic as I can get without mucking for the clams at low tide myself. Happy eating!
Julie's (Most Traditional) Clam Chowder
4 Tbs. salted butter or bacon fat (bacon fat is more traditional, but butter is more available these days)
1 cup medium diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery-optional, some recipes have it, some don't
1 Tbs. flour
3 cups clam juice
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 cups of 1/2 inch diced potato
2 cups canned chopped clams
2 cups cream
pepper and finely minced parsley to taste
In a large stock pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add Onions and celery and sauté 5-7 minutes until the onions are fragrant and turning translucent DO NOT LET THEM BROWN!
Add the flour and stir so that there are no lumps. Pour in the clam juice and add the bay leaf, thyme and potatoes.
Bring to a simmer (do not boil), and allow the potatoes to cook 10-12 minutes, until they are tender. Lastly, add the clams and cream. Simmer another 5 minutes.
Season with pepper and parsley. Serve immediately.
We like ours in Hollowed out mini boules.
Steamed Clams-for anyone lucky enough to be near a source!
5 pounds hard shelled clams-scrubbed and ready for steaming
Steam in a large stock pot in 1 cup of water 10-15 minutes. Remove the clams from their shells, chop them coarsely, and strain the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits of sand, and reserve for the soup. Follow the recipe as written using the fresh clams in place of the canned one, and 2 cups of clam juice and your remaining strained cooking liquid.
Now please don't write to me about your Manhattan, or Chesapeake Bay chowders; I'm not talking about you or your amazing cuisine. I'm talking about all the mediocre chain restaurants (and a few very nice upscale places too) that absolutely butcher one of my favorite foods on Earth.
There has been a trend here in American to over-thicken creamy soups and turn them into a textural nightmares resembling pudding. It's disgusting, and it NEEDS TO STOP! Soup is supposed to be a liquid, not a semi-solid. No soup has suffered from this trend more than my beloved clam chowder. So I am here to tell you, dear readers, that clam chowder-while creamy-is definitely not "thick" like gravy.
The recipe below is the result of several recipes that I inherited from the ladies in my family back in Salem, MA. The first thing you will notice when you make this is that the broth, while satisfying, is not gloppy or super thick. The second thing you'll see is there there are tiny, glistening bits of melted butter floating on the surface of your chowder. This is how you know that you have done it the right way!
I did take the shortcut of using canned clams instead of fresh ones, because I now live in eastern California and fresh clams are hard to come by. If you'd like to use fresh clams, I have included instructions for you at the bottom of the recipe. Otherwise, it is as close to authentic as I can get without mucking for the clams at low tide myself. Happy eating!
Julie's (Most Traditional) Clam Chowder
4 Tbs. salted butter or bacon fat (bacon fat is more traditional, but butter is more available these days)
1 cup medium diced onions
1/2 cup diced celery-optional, some recipes have it, some don't
1 Tbs. flour
3 cups clam juice
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
2 cups of 1/2 inch diced potato
2 cups canned chopped clams
2 cups cream
pepper and finely minced parsley to taste
In a large stock pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add Onions and celery and sauté 5-7 minutes until the onions are fragrant and turning translucent DO NOT LET THEM BROWN!
Add the flour and stir so that there are no lumps. Pour in the clam juice and add the bay leaf, thyme and potatoes.
Bring to a simmer (do not boil), and allow the potatoes to cook 10-12 minutes, until they are tender. Lastly, add the clams and cream. Simmer another 5 minutes.
Steamed Clams-for anyone lucky enough to be near a source!
5 pounds hard shelled clams-scrubbed and ready for steaming
Steam in a large stock pot in 1 cup of water 10-15 minutes. Remove the clams from their shells, chop them coarsely, and strain the remaining liquid through a fine mesh strainer to remove any bits of sand, and reserve for the soup. Follow the recipe as written using the fresh clams in place of the canned one, and 2 cups of clam juice and your remaining strained cooking liquid.
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| Even my picky kid loves this chowder! |
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