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New England Clam Chowder Recipe

New England Clam Chowder

Wholesome Cove
This New England Clam Chowder recipe is thick, creamy, and smoky with tender Yukon Gold potatoes and briny canned clams, ready in about an hour with no shucking required.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine American
Servings 6 bowls
Calories 385 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 4 slices thick-cut bacon - about 4 oz / 115 g, chopped
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter - 28 g
  • 1 large yellow onion - about 1½ cups / 200 g, diced
  • 2 ribs celery - about ¾ cup / 100 g, diced
  • 2 cloves garlic - minced
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour - 40 g
  • 3 cans chopped clams - 6.5 oz / 184 g each, drained with juices reserved
  • 2 bottles clam juice - 8 oz / 240 ml each
  • 1 cup water - 240 ml
  • 1½ lb Yukon Gold potatoes - 680 g, peeled and cut into ½-inch / 1.25 cm cubes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme - leaves, or ¼ tsp / 1 g dried thyme
  • 1 cup heavy cream - 240 ml
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper - 1 g, plus more to taste
  • salt - to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley - 8 g, chopped, for garnish
  • oyster crackers - for serving

Instructions
 

  • Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the chopped bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pot.
  • Add the butter to the bacon fat and melt over medium heat. Stir in the diced onion and celery and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute until fragrant.
  • Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and stir constantly with a wooden spoon for 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture will look like wet sand and smell toasty, which cooks out the raw flour taste.
  • Slowly pour in the bottled clam juice while whisking, then whisk in the reserved juice from the canned clams and the water. Keep whisking until the roux fully dissolves and no lumps remain, scraping the bottom corners of the pot.
  • Add the cubed potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer. Cook uncovered for 15 to 18 minutes until the potatoes are fork-tender.
  • Press a few cooked potato cubes against the side of the pot with a masher or fork, then stir them back in to release their starch and thicken the broth naturally. For a smoother result, give the pot two short pulses with an immersion blender, leaving plenty of chunks.
  • Lower the heat to the gentlest simmer. Pour in the heavy cream and add the drained chopped clams. Warm through for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring gently, without letting it boil so the cream does not break and the clams do not toughen.
  • Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the black pepper, then taste and add salt as needed. Ladle into bowls, scatter the reserved crisp bacon and chopped parsley on top, and serve with oyster crackers.

Notes

  • Never let the chowder boil after the cream goes in, or the dairy can curdle into grainy curds. Keep it at a bare simmer.
  • Yukon Gold or red potatoes work best because they hold their shape while releasing enough starch to thicken the broth. Russets break down more and can make it gluey.
  • Season at the very end, since the clam juice, canned clams, and bacon all carry salt.
  • Add the clams last. They are already cooked in the can and only need to warm through, or they turn chewy.
  • Hold the bacon for the table and scatter it on at serving so it stays crisp instead of softening in the pot.
  • If the chowder gets too thick, thin it with a splash of extra clam juice rather than water to avoid diluting the flavor.
  • Let it rest 10 minutes off the heat before serving so it thickens and the flavors settle.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stove over low heat without boiling, adding a splash of milk or clam juice if needed.
  • Freezing is not ideal for cream-based chowder because it can separate and turn grainy. To freeze ahead, make the base through the potato step without the cream, freeze, then thaw, reheat, and stir in fresh cream and clams.
  • The flavor deepens overnight, so making it a day ahead is a genuine advantage.

Nutrition

Serving: 1BowlCalories: 385kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 18gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 790mgFiber: 2gSugar: 4g
Keyword boston clam chowder, canned clam chowder, creamy clam chowder, easy clam chowder recipe, new england clam chowder
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