New England Clam Chowder

I need to make a pot of clam chowder for a Christmas eve party. I've had 1000's and 1000's of bowls of clam chowder, it was my favorite food when I was young but I never made it. Two questions.

1) What are the best clams to use? I'll be ordering them from the Restaurant Depot seafood dept. so I think I'll have access to any type.

2) Does anyone have a recipe they've tried and loved or tips on key ingredients, what to do, what not to do etc...

Thanks to all.

good idea da beef,

Now I know what Ill be doing with the crab and shrimp boil I am doing for New Years Eve.

Only tips I have are that I use some bacon fat as well as butter to make the roux. I par cook the diced potaotes before adding them later on in the process. I also add a little dry sherry to mine.

Butter/Bacon fat/Heavy Cream you cant go wrong.

good luck with your version, I bet you knock it out of the park

Hi,

You might gather some tips from the Manhattan Clam Chowder.

Regards,

Appropriate for all of the East Coast chowders -- Manhattan (with tomato), New England (with milk) and Rhode Island, which I've eaten but far too long ago to remember very well at all -- for all of them the native East Coast quahog/quahaug clams are commonly used, though other types are also used. The quahog variety can get pretty big and those big ones are very much what are used for chowder, but they might be less readily available here than other sorts. If quahogs are unavailable, I would probably use cherrystones, which should be available (e.g., at Dirk's, though you might have to order them a day in advance).

There are a number of options one has to choose from, starting with that of the lighter Manhattan version with tomato and the thicker and richer New England style -- with the latter, which I suppose is what you have in mind, one can choose between cream or milk, bacon or salt pork. I myself would lean toward salt pork and milk, to let the clams come through a bit more. The clams really ought to be the stars of the dish. But cream and butter and bacon, though less good for the arteries and more likely to compete with the clams, would be festive. Another factor you might want to consider is the constituion of the rest of the meal. If there are many other courses or another heavy dish, I would keep the chowder lighter and let the clams shine through.

Antonius

No help on a recipe, Beef, but having just dragged a two-year-old son who's on a chowder kick to about a dozen Boston area seafood shacks in the past few weeks, I've had my preconceptions about optimal viscosity mightily challenged. No more thick and creamy for me. The lighter milk-based ones that, as Antonius mentions, bring out the clams are the ones I found myself appreciating a whole lot more. They may be more of a challenge for his emerging spoon skills, but there's no question which I enjoyed more when I stole a bite or two.

I just picked up a lb of freshly shucked clams at Supreme Lobster today with chowder in mind as well. I'm wavering between Manhattan and a milky one at the moment but I'm leaving for the grocery store in ten minutes so I should have it figured out by then.


or I'll get the ingredients for both and prolong the indecision...

Dmnkly wrote:No help on a recipe, Beef, but having just dragged a two-year-old son who's on a chowder kick to about a dozen Boston area seafood shacks in the past few weeks, I've had my preconceptions about optimal viscosity mightily challenged. No more thick and creamy for me. The lighter milk-based ones that, as Antonius mentions, bring out the clams are the ones I found myself appreciating a whole lot more. They may be more of a challenge for his emerging spoon skills, but there's no question which I enjoyed more when I stole a bite or two.

Yeah, I think for people who actually love clams, the extra rich version just downplays the clams, which are what the dish is about. I strongly suspect that NE chowder, as originally conceived and developed by New Englanders, was indeed heavy on the clams and with just a bit of salt pork for flavour and then milk more often than with the 'fancier' (and more costly) options of bacon and cream. Or else cooked with milk and then just finished with a shot of cream and/or butter.

And I agree, Dmnkly, really thick and creamy is okay but not the optimal style for clam lovers, and in particular, heavy use of a roux (which has probably become the norm in most of the US) is not my favourite. Unfortunately, clams are no longer cheap, especially out here on the edge of the Prairie, and so the best 'thickening' agent of all -- heaps of chopped fresh clam flesh -- is now very costly.

Antonius

Antonius wrote:
Yeah, I think for people who actually love clams, the extra rich version just downplays the clams, which are what the dish is about. I strongly suspect that NE chowder, as originally conceived and developed by New Englanders, was indeed heavy on the clams and with just a bit of salt pork for flavour and then milk more often than with the 'fancier' (and more costly) options of bacon and cream. Or else cooked with milk and then just finished with a shot of cream and/or butter.

And I agree, Dmnkly, really thick and creamy is okay but not the optimal style for clam lovers, and in particular, heavy use of a roux (which has probably become the norm in most of the US) is not my favourite. Unfortunately, clams are no longer cheap, especially out here on the edge of the Prairie, and so the best 'thickening' agent of all -- heaps of chopped fresh clam flesh -- is now very costly.

Antonius

Personally, I have been able to make a pretty good clam chowder where the potatoes and half and half have provided sufficient thickening.

For me, three rules: no bacon, no roux, no cream. The best NE clam chowders are broth-based with a touch of milk added at the end. Those 3 verboten components show up where compromise is necessary and understandable, e.g., in Boston taverns where big pots of chowder are held all day and dished out to hungry, inebriated patrons. Bacon to cover up the flavor of old or canned clams, roux and cream to help avoid curdling.

the version I do has a little heavy cream added @ the end, & is taken off the burner when it is stirred in at the end. I also only use fresh clams. My version has got a thin rich broth(I dislike the N.E. clam chowders that are like a thick glue).

Pretty much every recipe I have seen bacon fat, or salt pork is used. I enjoy the depth of flavor these items add, I just like rendered fat I guess..

I also like reading the different methods folks use.

This thread has gotten me craving N.E. chowder, dont know if I will last til N.Y. Eve before Ill make a pot.

Turned out a really good version last night with some clams I got @ Supreme Lobster

-about 5 lbs of clams
- 1 diced onion
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 pieces bacon
- dry thyme
- salt
- 3 bay leaf
- 2 cups diced russet potato


Soaked the clams 1 hour in corn starch, salt and about a gallon of water to get the sand out. Then steamed the clams in 1 cup of water and 2 bay leaves for about 15 minutes. All of them opened.



clam liquor:



chopped clams:



Sauteed the bacon, then tossed in the onions, and sprinkled the flour ontop. Cooked til onions were clear, then added the bay leaf, dry thyme, clam liquor, and milk & potatoes. Brought to a boil then simmered 15 minutes. Tossed in the clams, and heavy cream, and simmered 5 minutes.. done.

Great taste. rich, thin broth, tender plentiful clams. This is my go to recipe now.



thanks for looking

THIS is the best recipe I have ever used and I've been clamming and making clam chowder for ever.
http://seacoastnh.com/clam/index.html
The only exception I take is that for Cherrystones I shuck the clams raw without steaming, saving the liquid, and then rough chop. If using Quahogs, they are bit of tough to open so sometimes I lightly steam and then chop or grind.
I think the real secret to this recipe is cooking the potatoes in the clam liquid.
Anyway this is the best i have found.-Dick

budrichard wrote:I think the real secret to this recipe is cooking the potatoes in the clam liquid.
Anyway this is the best i have found.-Dick

I saw that recipe when I was researchin my version. I also thought the simmering of the potatoes in the clam liquor was an interesting twist I hadnt seen before.