Fresh clam chowder is a classic dish enjoyed by seafood lovers worldwide. Its creamy, flavorful broth and tender clams make it a perfect comfort food for cool evenings or special occasions. With so many variations on the classic recipe, finding the best one can be daunting. This article will guide you through the essential elements of a great clam chowder and provide tips on choosing the freshest clams and vegetables. We will also explore different cooking methods and discuss the best ways to serve this delicious dish. Whether you are a seasoned cook or a novice in the kitchen, this article will help you create a memorable clam chowder that will satisfy your taste buds and leave you craving more.
Let's cook with our recipes!
THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER
This truly is The Best Clam Chowder Recipe ever. The secret is steaming fresh clams yourself. It's easier than you think and totally worth the extra effort!
Provided by Erica Walker
Categories Soup
Time 1h30m
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Preheat the oven to 325. In a glass baking dish, whisk together flour and melted butter until combined. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and crumbly. Set aside.
- In a large pot, melt 1-2 tablespoons of butter and add celery, onion, and leeks. Cook on medium heat for about 3-5 minutes or until soft and slightly transparent.
- Add all the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the butter/flour mixture, half & half, and clams. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes or until potatoes are cooked through and fork tender.
- Add the butter/flour mixture into chowder and stir until thick. The mixture will be extremely thick.
- Remove chowder from heat and stir in half & half until blended and smooth. Heat to serving temperature (do not bring to a boil), stirring occasionally. Once the chowder has thickened slightly, stir in the clams. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts : Carbohydrate 39 g, Protein 10 g, Fat 37 g, SaturatedFat 23 g, Cholesterol 109 mg, Sodium 1443 mg, Fiber 3 g, Sugar 4 g, Calories 521 kcal, ServingSize 1 serving
MANHATTAN CLAM CHOWDER
Provided by Food Network Kitchen
Categories main-dish
Time 40m
Yield 4 to 6 first-course servings (
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, garlic, and crushed red pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook, stirring, for about 1 minute more. Tie the parsley sprigs, fresh thyme, and bay leaf together with a piece of kitchen twine and add to the pot with the potatoes. Pour in the clam juice and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and clams. Cover and bring to a low simmer. Season with pepper to taste. Divide among warm soup bowls and sprinkle with the parsley. Serve immediately.
- Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, G.P. All rights reserved
NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER
Provided by Anne Burrell
Time 1h5m
Yield Serves 4
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- Place the clams and 1 cup of water in a large pot. Cover and place over a high heat and cook the clams for 6 to 7 minutes. Uncover and remove the open clams.Cover the pot again and continue cooking the clams that haven't opened yet. Cook the clams for another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and discard any clams that have not opened. Strain the liquid from the pot through a mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter and reserve.
- Coarsely chop the clams and reserve.
- Drizzle a few drops of olive oil into the bottom of the clam pot and toss in the bacon. Bring the pan to a medium heat. When the bacon has let off a lot of fat and become brown and crispy, toss in the onions and season lightly with salt. Cook the onions until they are very soft and aromatic but have no color, 7 to 8 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onions and potato mixture and stir to combine. Gradually whisk in the reserved clam juice. When the clam juice has been whisked in and there are no lumps, whisk in the milk and heavy cream and toss in the bay leaves and thyme. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes.
- Toss in the reserved clams. Taste and re-season if needed and add hot sauce if using.
INSTANT POT CLAM CHOWDER
Clam chowder is especially tasty when it's served with a sprinkle of fresh thyme, bacon crumbles and crispy oyster crackers on top. If you like your chowder on the thick side, add another tablespoon of flour after it is done in the pressure cooker. -Taste of Home Test Kitchen
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 45m
Yield 8 servings (2 quarts).
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Place first 10 ingredients in a 6-qt. electric pressure cooker. Drain and reserve liquid from clams; add the liquid to pressure cooker and set clams aside. Lock lid; close pressure-release valve. Adjust to pressure-cook on high for 15 minutes. Quick-release pressure., Select saute setting and adjust for low heat. Mix flour and cream until smooth; stir into soup. Cook and stir until slightly thickened, 6-8 minutes. Stir in clams; heat through. Serve with bacon and, if desired, crackers and fresh thyme.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 227 calories, Fat 13g fat (7g saturated fat), Cholesterol 56mg cholesterol, Sodium 673mg sodium, Carbohydrate 21g carbohydrate (4g sugars, Fiber 2g fiber), Protein 8g protein.
NEW ENGLAND RAZOR CLAM CHOWDER
Thick New England clam chowder using razor clams. My family likes to harvest razor clams on the Washington coast. We clean and freeze our clams. You might be able to use canned clams. My husband like thick clam chowder. If you do not want it as thick omit flour, and/or use milk instead of cream. Serve with bread and salad.
Provided by Candia Mathieson
Categories Soups, Stews and Chili Recipes Chowders Clam Chowder Recipes
Time 1h15m
Yield 8
Number Of Ingredients 10
Steps:
- Cook and stir bacon in a large pot over medium-high heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towel, reserving drippings in the pot.
- Cook and stir potatoes, onion, and garlic in the hot bacon drippings until onions are translucent, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir flour into the potato mixture; cook together for about 1 minute. Add evaporated milk, heavy cream, liquid from clams, and bay leaf to the potato mixture; stir.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Add clams to the soup; cook until the clams are hot, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle bacon atop the soup. Season with salt and pepper to serve.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 574.9 calories, Carbohydrate 31.6 g, Cholesterol 112.3 mg, Fat 40.8 g, Fiber 3.1 g, Protein 20.5 g, SaturatedFat 17.6 g, Sodium 574 mg, Sugar 6.9 g
THE BEST DAMN CLAM CHOWDER EVER
If you like a thick clam chowder, this recipe is not for you. However, if you like a brothy clam chowder, where you can really taste the clams, this one is for you.
Provided by dawnie2u
Categories Chowders
Time 30m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 12
Steps:
- In a large soup pot, brown prosciutto, or bacon over medium-low heat until crisp.
- Add the onion and cook until softened.
- Add the flour and stir until lightly colored, about a minute.
- Slowly whisk in the clam broth, reserved clam liquid, potatoes, bay leaf and thyme. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.
- Add the clams, cream, fresh parsley, salt and white pepper.
- Bring to a simmer and serve immediately.
- (You may substitute any type of shellfish, or even fish for the clams in this recipe.).
CLAM CHOWDER
Clam chowder is a rich and creamy soup, bursting with the flavours and textures of shellfish, bacon and potatoes. Serve with crusty bread for a starter
Provided by Barney Desmazery
Categories Dinner, Fish Course, Lunch, Main course, Soup, Starter
Time 45m
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Rinse the clams in several changes of cold water and drain well. Tip the clams into a large pan with 500ml of water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 2 mins until the clams have just opened. Tip the contents of the pan into a colander over a bowl to catch the clam stock. When cool enough to handle, remove the clams from their shells - reserving a handful of empty shells for presentation if you want. Strain the clam stock into a jug, leaving any grit in the bottom of the bowl. You should have around 800ml stock.
- Heat the butter in the same pan and sizzle the bacon for 3-4 mins until it starts to brown. Stir in the onion, thyme and bay and cook everything gently for 10 mins until the onion is soft and golden. Scatter over the flour and stir in to make a sandy paste, cook for 2 mins more, then gradually stir in the clam stock then the milk and the cream.
- Throw in the potatoes, bring everything to a simmer and leave to bubble away gently for 10 mins or until the potatoes are cooked. Use a fork to crush a few of the potato chunks against the side of the pan to help thicken - you still want lots of defined chunks though. Stir through the clam meat and the few clam shells, if you've gone down that route, and simmer for a minute to reheat. Season with plenty of black pepper and a little salt, if needed, then stir through the parsley just before ladling into bowls or hollowed-out crusty rolls.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 433 calories, Fat 29 grams fat, SaturatedFat 16 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 19 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 4 grams sugar, Fiber 2 grams fiber, Protein 22 grams protein, Sodium 2.9 milligram of sodium
CONTEST-WINNING NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER
This is the best New England clam chowder recipe, ever! In the Pacific Northwest, we dig our own razor clams and I grind them for the chowder. Since these aren't readily available, the canned clams are perfectly acceptable. -Sandy Larson, Port Angeles, Washington
Provided by Taste of Home
Time 55m
Yield 5 servings.
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute celery and onion in the drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes., In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes., Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). Crumble the cooked bacon; sprinkle over each serving.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 260 calories, Fat 4g fat (1g saturated fat), Cholesterol 22mg cholesterol, Sodium 788mg sodium, Carbohydrate 39g carbohydrate (9g sugars, Fiber 3g fiber), Protein 13g protein. Diabetic Exchanges
THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER
This is a basic New England clam chowder, though with leeks used in place of the traditional onions, and a splash of wine to add a floral note. Also: thyme. Very continental! It is shockingly delicious and deserves its title as best. Bacon will add a smoky note to the stew. If you use it, it may be worth it to go the whole distance and get expensive double-smoked bacon instead of the standard supermarket fare. The salt pork, which is not smoked, will take the meal in the opposite direction, emphasizing the pure flavor of the clams.
Provided by Sam Sifton
Time 1h
Yield 8 to 10 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set aside as well.
- Rinse out the pot, and return it to the stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium-low. Add bacon or salt pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pork has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove pork from fat, and set aside.
- Add the leeks to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes and wine, and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and the potatoes have just started to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add enough clam broth to just cover the potatoes, approximately 3 cups, reserving the rest for another use. Add the thyme and the bay leaf.
- Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, chop the clams into bits about the size of the bacon dice.
- When potatoes are tender, add cream and stir in chopped clams and reserved bacon. Add black pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer, and remove from heat. (Do not let chowder come to a full boil.) Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.
- The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it to a bare simmer before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 398, UnsaturatedFat 12 grams, Carbohydrate 26 grams, Fat 28 grams, Fiber 3 grams, Protein 9 grams, SaturatedFat 15 grams, Sodium 544 milligrams, Sugar 3 grams, TransFat 0 grams
FRESH CLAM CHOWDER
I made this with littleneck clams I dug up myself in Long Island and it was the best chowder I've ever made. This is really easy and rivals what you'd get in a restaurant. All fresh ingredients and no flour. This contains no actual onion pieces which is good for those who dislike onions, but it still retains all the flavor.
Provided by Suzy_Q
Categories Chowders
Time 1h10m
Yield 4 cups, 2-3 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 16
Steps:
- NOTE: Chowder Clams: 1 dozen, Cherrystones: 2 dozen, Littlenecks: 3 dozen.
- Rinse and scrub clams well.
- Soak clams in a large bowl of water with 1/4 Celsius salt and cornmeal. This helps to remove the sand from the clams.
- Combine water, onion, garlic, celery tops, bay leaf and a sprig of thyme & parsley in a soup pot. Cover and bring to a boil.
- Add clams and cover again. Bring to a boil and let cook 10-15 minutes manipulating the clams every few minutes to ensure they all get hit with the heat so they can open. As soon as there are clams that are open wide, remove them with thongs allowing any unopened ones to remain over the heat. Discard any clams that do not open as they are not safe to eat.
- Once all clams have been removed, set aside and let them cool enough to be handled.
- While the clams are cooling, strain the broth removing all sediments and set the broth aside in a separate bowl.
- In the soup pot that you used to make the broth, melt the butter over medium-high heat.
- Add potato, celery and carrot plus a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Saute for about 7 minutes and add the wine. Once wine is absorbed, add broth back into the pot. Add 1/2 T. fresh thyme, cover and bring to a boil. Let cook until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. While this is boiling, mince the cooled clams that have been removed from the shell.
- When the potatoes are done turn the heat to low-medium, add clams and cream. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and fresh pepper to taste.
- Garnish with chopped, fresh parsley and oyster crackers if desired.
Tips:
- Use Fresh Clams: Fresh clams give the chowder the best flavor. If you can't find fresh clams, you can use frozen clams, but they won't be as good.
- Shuck the Clams Properly: To shuck the clams, hold the clam in one hand and insert the clam knife between the shells. Twist the knife to pry the shells open. Be careful not to cut yourself.
- Reserve the Clam Juice: When you shuck the clams, reserve the clam juice. This juice is full of flavor and will add a lot to the chowder.
- Use a Good Quality Broth: The broth is the base of the chowder, so it's important to use a good quality broth. You can use chicken broth, vegetable broth, or fish broth.
- Add Vegetables: Vegetables add flavor and texture to the chowder. Common vegetables to add to clam chowder include potatoes, carrots, celery, and onions.
- Use Fresh Herbs: Fresh herbs can really brighten up the flavor of the chowder. Common herbs to use in clam chowder include thyme, rosemary, and parsley.
- Don't Overcook the Clams: Clams are delicate and can easily be overcooked. Overcooked clams will become tough and chewy. Cook the clams just until they are opaque.
- Serve with Crackers or Bread: Clam chowder is traditionally served with crackers or bread. This helps to soak up the broth and adds a nice texture to the dish.
Conclusion:
Clam chowder is a delicious and hearty soup that is perfect for a cold winter day. It's easy to make and can be tailored to your own taste. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a delicious clam chowder that your family and friends will love.
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