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Clam Chowder · New England Style

New England Clam Chowder

A creamy, bacon-scented chowder made weeknight-easy with canned clams and bottled clam juice. Tender potatoes, plenty of clams, and oyster crackers on top.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
40 min
Total
55 min
Serves
6
Level
Easy

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon, chopped
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 celery ribs, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • 3 cans chopped clams, 6.5 oz each
  • 16 fl oz clam juice, bottled
  • 1 ½ lb Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 1 bay leaf
  • ½ tsp dried thyme
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • kosher salt, to taste
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • oyster crackers, for serving (optional)

Steps

  1. Drain the clams through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Keep the clams and the juice separately.
  2. Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp.
  3. Lift the bacon onto paper towels, leaving the fat in the pot.
  4. Add the butter, onion and celery and cook until soft.
  5. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant.
  6. Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly.
  7. Slowly whisk in the bottled clam juice and the juice from the cans until smooth.
  8. Add the potatoes, bay leaf and thyme and bring to a boil.
  9. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring often so nothing sticks, until the potatoes are tender.
  10. Stir in the milk and cream and heat until steaming. Don't let it boil.
  11. Stir in the clams and heat through. Canned clams are already cooked, so a short warm-up keeps them tender.
  12. Remove the bay leaf. Season with pepper, and salt only if needed, since the clams are salty.
  13. Ladle into bowls and top with the bacon, parsley and oyster crackers.

Tip: Chowder thickens as it stands. Thin leftovers with a little milk.

Tip: Using fresh clams? Steam 3 lb of littlenecks in 1 cup water until they open, chop the meat and use the strained liquid in place of bottled juice.

Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently without boiling. Cream-based chowder doesn't freeze well.

Estimated nutrition per serving: 450 calories · protein 19 g · carbohydrates 32 g · fiber 3 g · sugars 5 g · fat 27 g (saturated 15 g) · sodium 400 mg. Estimate from USDA FoodData Central; not medical or dietary advice. Based on 15 of 15 ingredients.