New England Clam Chowder Recipe
User Reviews
5
New England Clam Chowder Recipe
Description
This recipe for New England Clam Chowder starts by rendering crispy bacon, using the fat to sweat onions, garlic, and celery. A roux is made with flour to thicken the chowder, followed by deglazing with cream sherry and adding clam and chicken stocks alongside clams and bay leaves. Potatoes and fresh thyme are simmered until tender, then heavy cream and half the bacon lardons are incorporated for richness.
Separately, little-neck clams are sautéed with olive oil, garlic, and thyme, deglazed with chardonnay, and cooked until opened to intensify flavor. These clams, along with fresh parsley and seasoned with salt and red pepper flakes, enhance the chowder with freshness and texture.
The chowder can be served as a warming starter or main, offering creamy, smoky, and oceanic notes. It works well with rustic bread and can serve a large gathering. The addition of wine and herbs elevates the traditional creamy base.
Prepare the chowder fresh or up to a day ahead; add clams shortly before serving to prevent overcooking. Store refrigerated up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months, reheating gently to maintain creaminess. If cream separates, whisking in a bit of roux over heat can help restore texture. Wine options such as chardonnay complement the dish. This recipe yields a large quantity but can be halved for smaller servings.
Ingredients
For the Chowder:
- 1 pound Bacon thick-cut, sliced
- 2 yellow onion peeled and small diced
- 4 garlic finely minced cloves
- 1 celery bunch, medium diced
- 1 ¼ cups flour to 1 ½ cups
- ½ cup cream sherry
- 8 cups clam stock
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 40 ounces clam chopped, in juice
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 pounds red potato medium diced
- 2 pounds russet potato medium diced, red
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme chopped
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- salt ground white pepper, Worcestershire, and Tabasco sauce to taste, sea salt
For the Clams:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 15 little-neck clams
- 1 cup chardonnay wine
- 4 garlic finely minced cloves
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
- 2 ounces butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons parsley chopped fresh
- salt Kosher salt, to taste
- red pepper flakes Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a very large pot over medium heat, add the chopped bacon and cook until browned and crispy.
- Once brown remove the bacon and about a ½ cup of the bacon fat. Keep the ½ cup of fat separate from the bacon lardons.
- Add in the onions, garlic and celery and sweat for 5 to 6 minutes or until slightly tender.
- Stir in the flour until combined to make a roux.
- Next pour in the sherry, clams, clam stock, chicken stock, and bay leaves and bring to a boil or until thick.
- Once thick, add in the potatoes, thyme, cream, ½ of the cooked bacon, salt, and pepper. and simmer over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Keep warm.
- Add oil to a medium size sauté pan over high heat and add in the clams and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Flames may appear as there will be water leaking out from the clams into the oil – turn down the heat if this happens.
- Add in the wine, garlic and thyme and cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes on high heat or until the clams open.
- Finish the clams with butter, parsley, salt, and red pepper flakes.
- Pour a bowl of chowder and garnish with cooked clams, fresh thyme leaves, chopped parsley, cooked bacon, oyster crackers, and red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Make the chowder up to 1 day ahead; add clams 10 minutes before serving to avoid overcooking.
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months; thaw overnight before reheating gently.
- If cream separates on reheating, whisk in a small amount of roux over medium heat to restore texture.
- Use dry white wines like chardonnay for cooking clams and the chowder base.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 20Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 328 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 328kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 21g | 7% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 22g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat | 10g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 59mg | 20% |
| Sodium | 375mg | 16% |
| Potassium | 412mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
| Vitamin A | 543IU | 11% |
| Vitamin C | 6mg | 7% |
| Calcium | 41mg | 4% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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