Plated + Served: Weeknight New England Clam Chowder
A really good New England clam chowder should be loaded with clams, but just the thought of all that scrubbing, steaming and shucking keeps most of us from ever preparing the dish.
This New England clam chowder recipe uses frozen clam meat (you can find it in Asian markets or at a seafood store), but you can also substitute canned clams. Bottled clam juice and water add a nice depth to the broth and the thick cut bacon gives the chowder a subtle smokiness.
There’s cream in this recipe (it’s a New England chowder after all), but not a lot. You can actually use whole milk (but why would you? It’s chowda!).
Quick. Easy. Deliciously comforting.
Sounds like dinner to me.
Weeknight New England Clam Chowder
prep: 20 minutes
cook: 20 minutes
you’ll need…
3 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into ¼-inch pieces
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
½ cup chopped carrot
2 tablespoons flour
2 8-ounce bottles clam juice
1 cup water
1½ pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½ inch pieces
2 bay leaves
1½ pounds chopped frozen clams or canned clams
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and white pepper to taste
let’s get to it…
Fry the bacon pieces in a large saucepan or stockpot until crisp; remove bacon from the pan and set aside.
Add the onion, celery and carrot to the bacon drippings in the pan; sauté on medium heat until soft, 3 to 5 minutes.
Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Slowly whisk in the bottled clam juice and water.
Add the potatoes and bay leaves to the pan; reduce heat to medium low and simmer 8 to 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Stir in clams, cream and parsley; simmer 10 minutes. Add salt and white pepper to taste. Garnish with the chopped cooked bacon.
