New England Clam Chowder Recipe Video
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New England Clam Chowder Recipe
I lived in Solana Beach for 5 years (by the Del Mar racetrack in San Diego) in my late teens/early twenties and down the street was the iconic Fish Market with the best New England Clam Chowder. My friends and I would buy a quart for $8 which came with oyster crackers and a huge slab of bread. We would drive a few blocks west to the ocean and sit on the bluffs as we devoured our rich and satisfying chowder. It was then that I fell in love with New England Clam Chowder. And I fell hard. I would crave the white creamy chowder bursting with delectable clams, tender potatoes, and salty bacon. Little did I know just how easy it is to make restaurant quality New England Clam Chowder at home or I would have been making it weekly! So now that I know how easy it is, I want YOU to know how easy it is! You will never go back to any canned/carton variety again because this Clam Chowder is perfection.
Homemade Clam Chowder Recipe Ingredients
What Clams Should I use for New England Clam Chowder?
You can use either canned or fresh clams for New England Clam Chowder -whatever is most convenient or you and fits your budget. I’ve outlined how to use canned clams and how to use fresh clams below and in the actual recipe so there are no excuses not to make homemade clam chowder!
Can I Make New England Clam Chowder with Canned Clams?
Yes! Seeing as San Diego is on the opposite side of the Unites States from New England, fresh clams can be hard to come by or very expensive, so I’ve made this New England Clam chowder with minced canned clams and I couldn’t taste a difference! In fact, many reputable restaurants use canned clams with the addition of clam juice. You will be shocked how restaurant-quality delicious this version tastes and canned clams make it that much easier!
Canned clams for Clam Chowder:
You will need three (6.5 oz) cans chopped/minced clams in clam juice. These clams are located near the canned tuna fish in your grocery story. We drain the clams and reserve the clam juice and add bottled clam juice to equal 2 ½ cups total clam juice. The bottled clam juice can also be found near the clams in your grocery store.
Fresh clams for Clam Chowder:
You can also make New England Clam Chowder with fresh clams. If you are going the fresh clam route then I recommend using fresh cherrystone clams. Cherrystone clams are more tender than quahogs (which is always a good thing). That being said, quahogs are commonly used because they are less expensive and will still work.
How to Steam Clams for New England Clam Chowder
Steaming fresh clams is actually quite simple and creates its own clam juice so you will use this clam stock instead of the bottled clam juice listed in the ingredients. Let’s get to it!
What Kind of Bacon Should I Use?
You will want to use thick, center cut bacon opposed to traditional sliced bacon. Sliced bacon wilts as its simmered whereas thick bacon holds up to the heat so you are left with a wonderful meaty texture that compliments the clams. The key to cooking thick bacon is low and slow so that the fat renders out completely without letting the bacon burn. This gives you a great base to sweat your vegetables.
What Kind of Potatoes Should I use?
The potatoes for New England Clam Chowder come down to personal preference. Yukon Gold: This is my favorite potato for soups. It is a waxy potato so it retains its shape well and is hard to overcook. It tastes soft, buttery and melt-in-your-mouth tender without ever tasting mealy. Russet Potatoes: They boast a soft, creamy, melt-in-your-mouth texture, taste the most “potato-y” and practically fall apart in your mouth. The tricky thing about Russet potatoes is you don’t want them to actually fall apart, so you have to take care not to overcook them.
What Seasonings for Clam Chowder?
Both bacon and clams are wonderfully salty so we don’t need to add a lot of seasonings. To this New England Clam Chowder, I’ve seasoned it with dried parsley, red pepper, oregano, dried thyme, pepper and aromatic onions an garlic. I suggest adding 2 teaspoons chicken bouillon to your clam chowder if you are using canned clams. The salty bouillon enhances the natural flavors and mimics the saltiness of the fresh clams and juice. This extra touch elevates this New England Clam Chowder to a whole new level. If using fresh clams, I would omit the chicken bouillon then add a little to taste if it still feels like is missing a little something-something.
How to Make New England Clam Chowder
Now that you have your clams all ready to go, it’s time to make New England Clam Chowder! You will LOVE how easy this clam chowder is to make with gourmet results.
Can I make Clam Chowder Ahead of Time?
The flavors of this New England Clam Chowder only gets better the next day so this chowder makes fantastic leftovers. It will thicken as it stands overnight in the refrigerator so just whisk in a little milk before reheating.
Recipe Tips
How to Keep Clams From Becoming Rubbery
They key to preventing rubbery clams is to not overcook them. After we’ve simmered the clam chowder and the potatoes are fork tender, then add the clams to the soup. You do not want to cook your clams, you just want to HEAT them so add them at the very end of cooking.
How do you thicken New England clam chowder?
Everyone has their own opinion as to how thick a chowder should be. For this New England Clam Chowder, we use a roux to thicken the chowder then stir in 1 cup heavy cream at the end of cooking. If you would like a thicker chowder, simmer the soup longer, for a thinner chowder, stir in additional chicken broth. You can also thicken the soup by:
Cornstarch: Remove ¼ cup broth from the clam chowder and whisk in 1-2 tablespoons cornstarch with a fork (depending on how much thicker you want it) until smooth then whisk it back into the chowder. Simmer until thickened to desired consistency. Flour and butter: Mix equal parts flour and softened butter together with a fork so it becomes a thick paste and almost forms a ball. You will want 2-4 tablespoons each, depending on how thick you want the chowder. Add it to the chowder, and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally. Puree soup: Remove 1-2 cups of the chowder and puree it in your blender or food processor. It will add body to the soup while preserving the flavor. Mash potatoes: Remove some of the potatoes, mash them and return them to the soup. Mashed potatoes are a natural thickener. Alternatively, you can microwave a few potatoes separately, mash them and add them to the soup if you don’t want to use any from the chowder.
How to serve this Clam Chowder Recipe
To finish the New England Clam Chowder, pile it with some of the reserved crispy bacon and fresh parsley for an added explosion of YUM! I love serving New England Clam Chowder with a big chunk of bread and oyster crackers. I love the salty crunch oyster crackers add to the chowder. If you can’t find oyster crackers than saltine crackers are also delicious. It is also delicious with a big green salad, wedge salad, breadsticks, dinner rolls and fruit salad.
How to store New England Clam Chowder
New England Clam Chowder should be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator. When properly stored, clam chowder is good for 3-5 days.
Can I Freeze Clam Chowder?
I do NOT recommend freezing clam chowder. Cream based soups do not freeze well as the fat separates when frozen and defrosted. Potatoes also don’t freeze well as their texture becomes mealy and mushy. Now dig into your better-than-any-restaurant New England Clam Chowder that’s wonderfully creamy, hearty, satisfying and seasoned to perfection and be prepared to blown away!
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