New England Clam Chowder
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Category
Soup
Servings
6
Prep Time
15 minutes
Cook Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
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6 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
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1 T. Unsalted butter
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2 carrots, diced
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2 celery stalks, diced
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1 small onion, diced
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2 cloves garlic, minced
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3 T. Flour
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2 cup chicken stock
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1 bay leaf
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1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
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½ teaspoon dried thyme
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1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
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3 Yukon Gold potatoes, cubed
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2 cups milk
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1 cup half and half
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2 T. Vermouth (optional)
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2 (6.5 oz) cans chopped clams, drained with juice reserved
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¼ cup chopped parsley, for serving
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Oyster crackers for serving
Directions
In a Dutch oven, add chopped bacon and cook until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate. Set some crisp bacon aside for garnish. Reserve 1 T. Bacon grease.
In the Dutch oven, add 1 T. Butter. Add prepared carrots, celery, onion, and garlic to the pan and cook until soft but not brown about 10 minutes. Sprinkle in 3 T. Flour and saute for another minute.
Add 2 cups chicken broth, reserved clam juice, bay leaf, Worcestershire sauce, dried thyme, salt and pepper. Bring to a light boil.
While the soup is heating, peel potatoes and dice into small pieces. Add the potatoes to the pot and stir in the milk and half and half. Add vermouth.
Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Add the diced clams, and bacon. Do not overcook or the clams will get tough.
The chowder should sit for flavors to blend. Reheat to a bare simmer before serving and garnish with chopped parsley, crispy bacon and oyster crackers.
Add a dash of Tabasco sauce.
Recipe Video
Recipe Note
Add the clams at the end to ensure you don’t overcook them. Overcooking the clams will make them chewy and rubbery.
To use fresh clams, you will need 7 lbs. Clean the well and steam them until they open. Discard any clam that didn’t open. Then chop the meat for use.
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