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    Home » Recipes » Fish and Seafood Recipes

    Traditional New England Clam Chowder

    Published: Feb 28, 2014 · Modified: Nov 5, 2019 by Andrea

    Jump to Recipe

    A classic New England clam chowder - Fresh clams, potatoes and bacon come together for a creamy flavorful chowder, perfect to serve with crusty bread.


    New England clam chowder is a milk/cream-based chowder, and it's an American traditional recipe, occasionally referred to as Boston chowder.

    "A New England clam chowder, made as it should be, is a dish to preach about, to chant praises and sing hymns and burn incense before. To fight for. The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought for--or on--clam chowder; part of it at least, I am sure it was. It is as American as the Stars and Stripes, as patriotic as the national Anthem. It is 'Yankee Doodle in a kettle.'"
    Joseph C. Lincoln (1870-1944)

    Fresh clams, basic vegetables like potato, carrot and potatoes, and some extra simple ingredients come altogether into a silky heart-warming soup.

    Make sure you don't add tomatoes: in 1939 the Maine legislature declared illegal to add them to the clam chowder. But you fancy adding tomatoes in place of cream (making it “Manhattan-style”) is totally ok.

    I loved every single scoop of this delicious chowder. It has quickly become a regular hit at the dinner table. It's just the comforting meal you need on a chilled fall evening.

    It took me days to develop just the perfect recipe, but now I'm super proud to share this with you all.

    Classic New England clam chowder - Fresh clams, potatoes and bacon make this soup impossible to resist. Recipe by www.thepetitecook.com

    What about you, have you ever tried a traditional New England clam chowder?

    Write a comment below and let me know how you liked it. Or even better, take a picture and tag it #thepetitecook on Instagram! I can't wait to see your pictures!

    Print SaveSaved!
    4.5 from 2 votes

    Original New England Clam Chowder

    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time30 mins
    Total Time40 mins
    Course: Soup
    Cuisine: American
    Serving: 4
    Author: Andrea Soranidis - The Petite Cook

    Ingredients

    • 3 kg fresh clams, 3kg
    • 450 g potatoes, peeled and finely cubed
    • 1 carrot, finely diced
    • 1 stalk celery, finely diced
    • 1 golden onion, finely diced
    • 100 g Bacon or Speck, finely cubed
    • 250 ml fresh double cream
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
    • 2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
    • Extravirgin olive oil, as needed
    • 2 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
    • 1 red chilli, finely sliced (optional)
    • kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper , to taste

    Instructions

    • Soak the clams in a bowl with cold water and kosher salt for an hour. Wash them through afterwards. Heat a large pan over med-heat with the garlic and 2 tablespoon of oil.
    • Fold in the clams, cover with a lid and cook for about 5 mins, until the shells open and they release the liquid. Turn the heat off and discard the garlic.
    • Once ready, filter the clams liquid and set aside. Remove the clams from their shells and set them aside, use some of the shells for decoration and discard the rest.
    • Heat a large pan with 1 tablespoon of oil over med-heat. Add in the carrots, celery and onion, thyme and bay leaves. Saute for 5 mins, stirring occasionally.
    • Add in the potatoes and bacon, stir fry for a min, then pour in the clams liquid. Cover with a lid and cook until the potatoes are softened.
    • Pour in the double cream, season to taste and bring to a boil. Turn the heat off and discard the bay leaves.
    • Blend the mixture until smooth. Transfer back to the pan, add in the reserved clams, sprinkle with parsley and chili and season to taste.
    • Stir all ingredients, then divide the chowder among plates and serve with toasted ciabatta.
    Did you try this recipe? Tag @thepetitecook or use the hashtag #thepetitecook - Looking at your pictures makes my day!

    The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

     

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    Comments

    1. john murphy says

      October 09, 2015 at 10:48 pm

      Someone got creative with the copy here. A traditional New England clam chowder inspired by a trip to Dublin? I'm second gen irish American and grew up in Connecticut. This recipe misses a traditional clam chowder by a mile.tomato is for Manhattan style .Chowder and never finds its way into a traditional New England pot. Garlic? Really?
      I like this site and often pull inspiration from it. This recipe is a do over.for the record new England is Connecticut,Massachusetts,Vermont,New Hampshire and Maine. Take a road trip.

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        October 10, 2015 at 8:51 am

        Hi John, thank you for your raw comments :). I've never said it was a traditional meal from Ireland. I've only said I discovered it while on holiday in Dublin, which I'm sure you know is full of international restaurants, including american-style ones where I got to try this recipe. Unfortunately I've never been to US, but it doesn't mean I don't know where New England is.
        I've also never said there should be tomato, but I gave the option because it's a nice addition. Could you please be more specific when you say this is FAR from being a traditional chowder? There are no tomatoes, and I'm quite sure garlic is listed in the original recipe too. So let me know if there's anything else wrong so I can improve myself and share a loyal recipe to the original. Have a nice weekend 🙂

        Reply

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    About Andrea

    Andrea Soranidis, founder of The Petite Cook.


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