New England Clam Chowder
If you’ve ever been to the Northeastern United States, you know that authentic New England Clam Chowder is not a thick, chunky chowder, but a relatively thin bowl of Yankee deliciousness! This easy clam chowder recipe uses simple and authentic ingredients, is flavorful and filling, and boasts the flavor of creamy Russet potatoes, canned clams and their juice.
Why this recipe works
Unless you’re in New England, it’s often difficult to find fresh clams. This recipe uses a few cups of whole and chopped canned clams with their juice and the flavor is just as good as if you were at Chatham Pier in Massachusettes!
Because the Russet potatoes dissolve a bit when cooking, they naturally thicken the creamy clam chowder without having to use heavy cream or a roux made with flour.
By cooking the potatoes in clam juice, the mild clam flavor is in every bite.
You’ll use the juice or clam liquor from the canned clams, but you will need to get a few extra jars of bottled clam juice; the potatoes are cooked in clam juice, which makes this a rich and flavorful broth.
Pair a big bowl of chowder with some crispy fried oysters, and you’ve got a tasty seaside dinner on the table in no time.
Ingredients
Traditional New England Clam Chowders are made with simple ingredients and usually use fresh clams: littleneck, cherrystone or quahog clams. I couldn’t find fresh clams, so I used canned clams for this chowder and it turned out delicious.
- Salt pork – a salty fat gives the clam broth a nice flavor without being too salty; you can use bacon, but I find it makes the soup too salty, especially with the salty clams and their juice.
- Canned clams – whole baby clams, chopped clams, or minced clams – just depends upon what texture you like. I use a combination of whole baby clams and chopped clams.
- Clam juice – or clam liquor; the juice from the drained clams isn’t enough for the chowder, so you’ll need to pick up a few jars of bottled clam juice. I like Snow’s Clam Juice (it’s usually on the grocery aisle with the clams and tuna)
- Potatoes – chowders include potatoes, and in this clam chowder, I recommend using Russet or Idaho potatoes versus a waxy Yukon gold or red creamer. Why? The russet potatoes dissolve a bit when cooked in the clam juice, and naturally thicken the chowder a bit without having to use a lot of sweet heavy cream
- Dairy – traditional clam chowder recipes use “light cream,” which has a lower fat content that heavy cream. In the U.S., it’s hard to find “light cream” so I use a combination of whole milk and evaporated milk.
- Simple seasonings – no need for celery, ground thyme or chopped parsley; just a pinch of salt and pepper will do. You can use ground white pepper for this recipe, just remember that white pepper is stronger than black pepper.
How to make New England Style Clam Chowder
This recipe doesn’t take much prep time or cook time, however, you do need to let the soup rest about 30-minutes off-heat before adding the dairy.
- In a large stockpot or dutch oven, melt butter; add minced salt pork and diced onions and cook on low for a few minutes
- Add diced potatoes to stockpot, and a few cups clam juice to cover; cook until potatoes are almost tender
- Remove from heat, add chopped and/or whole baby clams, and allow to cool; once cooled, add milks and season to taste
- Return to a low heat and simmer until warmed throughout; enjoy with a warm biscuit, roll, slice of sourdough bread or cornbread
Recipe Tips
Use a sharp knife or kitchen shears to cut and mince the salt pork into tiny pieces
Dice onions and potatoes into small pieces; you don’t want a big chunk of onion or potato to overwhelm a spoonful of the chowder
Storage, Make Ahead and Reheating
Store New England clam chowder in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Freeze for up to 3 months. For best results, reheat chowder in a saucepan on the stove; it may thicken upon refrigeration and need a few additional teaspoons of water.
To make ahead, saute the salt pork and onions, and boil the potatoes in clam juice until they’re almost fork tender. Then store this mixture for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. When ready to assemble, heat the potato mixture on low heat; add the chopped clams; and allow the soup to rest off-heat for 30 minutes. Then, add the milks, return to low heat and cook until it is warmed throughoutl
This easy New England Clam Chowder recipe makes about 8 cups. Serve it with a side of crispy Southern fried oysters, fried catfish, pan fried trout or your favorite seafood dish!
More Soup and Chowder Recipes
- Roasted Red Pepper Corn Chowder
- Wisconsin Beer Cheese Soup
- Southwestern Navy Bean Soup
- Seafood Bisque
New England Clam Chowder
Equipment
- Sharp knife
Ingredients
- 4 ounces salt pork, minced Read the Recipe Notes first
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- 1½ cups finely diced yellow onion
- 3 cups diced russet potatoes
- 4 cups clam juice
- 2 cups chopped clams
- 2 cups whole milk
- 12 ounces evaporated milk
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Prep
- Mince salt pork into tiny pieces; peel and dice potatoes; finely chop onion; drain clams and reserve the juice, or liquor; set all this aside4 ounces salt pork, minced, 3 cups diced russet potatoes, 1½ cups finely diced yellow onion
Make the Chowder
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven on low heat, add butter; once melted, add minced salt pork and chopped onions; cook on low until onions are transluscent, but not browned2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
- Add diced potatoes and clam juice (you want enough juice to cover the potatoes); cook on medium heat until potatoes are almost fork tender4 cups clam juice
- Add clams to the stockpot and turn off the heat; let the chowder rest for 30-minutes (until the temperature is below 100°F); once cooled, add whole milk and evaporated milk; turn the heat back on to low and cook until it's warmed throughout; taste for salt and pepper; adjust accordingly2 cups chopped clams, 2 cups whole milk, 12 ounces evaporated milk, salt and pepper to taste
