National Dishes of the World

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New England clam chowder
Photo: Jon Sullivan The original uploader was Y6y6y6 at English Wikipedia., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons

soup

New England clam chowder

A creamy soup of clams, potatoes, bacon and onion served with crackers – a classic of the New England coast.

Eaten in: United States

Prep
20 min
Cooking
40 min
Total
1 h
Servings
4

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About the dish

Clam chowder is a thick, milky clam soup that has been made for generations in the harbour towns of New England, from Maine to Connecticut. It is built on hard-shell clams (quahogs), potatoes, onion and salt pork or bacon, all enriched with milk and cream. The result is mild, faintly sweet and very filling – just right for cold, windy days on the Atlantic. In Boston it comes with little oyster crackers, and in tourist towns it is often served in a hollowed-out bread bowl. Locals take a dim view of the red, tomato-based Manhattan version, while in Rhode Island you may come across a clear-broth chowder.

Main ingredients

  • clams
  • potatoes
  • bacon
  • onion
  • milk
  • cream

More: Wikipedia (en)

Recipe

New England clam chowder

https://foodmap.ominuvo.com/dish/new-england-clam-chowder

Ingredients

4 servings

4 servings

Method

  1. Scrub the clams, put them in a pot with 500 ml water, cover and cook for 5–8 minutes until they open; discard any that stay shut. Pick out the meat and chop it, and strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve.

  2. Dice the bacon and render it in a pot until golden. Add the butter, chopped onion and celery and cook for 5 minutes until softened.

  3. Sprinkle the vegetables with the flour and cook for a minute, stirring. Gradually pour in the clam liquid, stirring all the time.

  4. Add the peeled, diced potatoes, thyme and bay leaf. Simmer for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

  5. Pour in the milk and cream and heat through without letting it boil. Add the chopped clams and warm for another 2–3 minutes.

  6. Season with pepper and only cautiously with salt, as the clam liquid is salty. Serve hot with crackers.

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