American · New England
Clam Chowder
New England clam chowder is a thick, cream-based soup of clams, diced potato, smoky bacon, onion, and celery — one of the foundational soups of American cooking. The chowder should be thick enough to coat a spoon but fluid enough to pour; the clams should be tender, not rubbery; and the bacon should provide smokiness throughout the cream base. Manhattan clam chowder (tomato-based) exists but is not the definitive form.
‹Swipe for the next dish›
I
The Market List
The benchmark for each ingredient, and who stocks it near you. Tap a stockist to go straight to the product.
1kg
littleneck clams
scrubbed, soaked 20 minutes in salted water
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
150g
smoked bacon
diced
Your own market
200g
yellow onion
diced
Your own market
150g
celery
diced
Your own market
200g
4 cloves
garlic
minced
Your own market
500ml
clam stock
reserved from clam cooking liquid, strained
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
400ml
whole milk
Your own market
200ml
heavy cream
Your own market
60g
unsalted butter
Your own market
40g
all-purpose flour
Your own market
1
bay leaf
Your own market
2 tsp
fresh thyme
Origin · FrancePurely Artisan Foods · San Diego →
1 tsp
fine sea salt
Your own market
1/2 tsp
white pepper
Your own market
100g
oyster crackers
Not yet stocked in British Columbia
Each tap is counted, so the stockist sees the demand Provenance sends them.
II
The Method
1
Bring large pot of water to boil; add drained clams and cover; cook 8–10 minutes until shells open (discard any unopened); strain liquid through fine sieve into measuring cup; shuck clams and chop coarsely.
2
Render bacon in heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat until fat releases and edges crisp, 4 minutes; remove to paper towel.
3
Add onion, celery, and potato to bacon fat; cook 5 minutes until softened.
4
Stir in minced garlic; cook 1 minute until fragrant.
5
Melt butter in pot, whisk in flour, and stir constantly 1 minute (do not brown); slowly add clam stock while whisking until fully incorporated and roux dissolves.
6
Add milk, cream, bay leaf, and thyme; bring to gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, 12–15 minutes.
7
Fold in chopped clams and cooked bacon; season with salt and white pepper.
8
Serve in heated bowls topped with oyster crackers.
IV
Sensory Tests
◇Where it lives or dies. The moment where clam chowder lives or dies is the clam timing — add the clams (and their steaming liquid) in the final 2 minutes of cooking. Clams are already cooked from steaming; you are only warming them through. Every additional minute of heat makes them tighter and more rubbery. Taste one at the 1-minute mark and the 2-minute mark — the moment they are yielding and tender is the moment to serve.
Pillars V — VII
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Cross-cuisine parallels, what to pour, and the dish's origin and lineage — on every recipe.
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