New England Clam Chowder
- Ready In:
- 1hr 45mins
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Yields:
-
10 cups
ingredients
- 4 ounces salt pork, rind removed and cut into 1/3 inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 medium onions, cut into 1/2 inch pieces (12 to 14 ounces)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 stalks celery, cut into 1/3 inch pieces (4 ounces)
- 5 -6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed and chopped (2 teaspoons)
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, and cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 4 cups clam broth
- 8 lbs small quahogs or 8 lbs large cherrystone clams, diced clams from reserved from broth instructions
- 1 1⁄2 - 2 cups heavy cream
- fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley, for garnish
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, for garnish
directions
- Scrub the clams, and rinse clean.
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in an 8-quart stockpot over high heat.
- Add the clams, and cover tightly.
- After 5 minutes, uncover, and stir the clams with a wooden spoon.
- Quickly cover the pot again, and let steam for 5 minutes more, or until most of the clams have opened.
- Don‘t wait for them all to open, or they will be overcooked.
- It should only take a little tug or prying to open the stragglers once they are all removed from the heat.
- The total cooking time for large cherrystones will be about 10 minutes; quahogs will need as much as 5 more minutes.
- While the clams are steaming, the broth should become foamy and light.
- It usually spills over a bit just as the clams are cooked and ready.
- As soon as you remove the clams from the stove, carefully pour as much of the broth as you can into a tall, narrow container.
- Let the broth sit for 10 minutes, then carefully pour through a fine-mesh strainer.
- After sitting, 99 percent of the grit will have collected at the bottom of the container.
- If you are not using the broth within the hour, chill it as quickly as possible, and cover it after it has completely cooled.
- Keep refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.
- Remove the clams from their shells, cover, and refrigerate.
- After they have cooled a bit, dice them into 1/2-inch pieces.
- Cover again, and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy-bottomed pot over low heat and add the salt pork.
- Once it has rendered a few tablespoons of fat, increase the heat to medium and cook until the salt pork is a crisp golden brown.
- Remove from pot; set aside.
- Add the butter, onions, garlic, celery, thyme, and bay leaves.
- Sauté, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onions are softened but not browned, about 10 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and the strained clam broth.
- The broth should just barely cover the potatoes; if it doesn’t, add enough water to cover them.
- Increase the heat, and bring to a boil.
- Cover, and cook the potatoes vigorously until they are soft on the outside but still firm in the center, about 10 minutes.
- If the broth hasn’t thickened lightly, smash a few potatoes against the side of the pot, and cook 1 to 2 minutes more to release the starch.
- Remove pot from the heat, and stir in the diced clams and the cream.
- Season to taste.
- If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate; cover the chowder after it has completely chilled.
- Otherwise, let it sit at room temperature for up to 1 hour, allowing the flavors to meld.
- When ready to serve, reheat the chowder over low heat; don’t let it boil.
- Ladle into cups or bowls, making sure that the clams, potatoes, and onions are evenly divided.
- Sprinkle with parsley, chives, and reserved salt-pork cracklings.
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Reviews
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When my DH was in the Navy stationed in The Boston area we ate Clam "chowda" every Friday and I was taught by the chef who made great chowder just like this recipe. No flour is used to make chowder thick just potatoes and cream and this is it. Yum!! I am so happy to find this recipe. Thanks for posting Queen Dragon Mom.
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This is pretty darn close to the recipe I picked up from a seafood restaurant I used to work for outside Boston--I made the "chowda" once a week there for almost a year. The big omission is the addition of the flour between steps 23 and 24. I add flour to make a tight roux before adding the clam juice (and thyme and bay leaves). When I make it at home now I cheat and get the big cans of chopped clams from Costco. Purists will also use fish stock made from cod and/or flounder in addition to the clam juice (broth). That's hard to come by in Northern VA where I live now so I just use fish stock from the grocery store. Two other differences between this recipe and mine is I don't use garlic but I do add a smidgeon of fresh dill (added along with the thyme) and carrots diced ultra fine (added with the onions and celery). This recipe is super labor intensive compared to other chowders--but I would do it any other way.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
<p>Mother of 4, grandmother of 3.... <br /> <br />One of my favorite authors is Kipling, he had a way with words... <br />...when the moon gets up and night comes, he is the Cat that walks by himself, and all places are alike to him.... <br />Rudyard Kipling</p>