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Steamer clam chowder on a green gingham napkins with a spoon nearby.
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5 / 10 votes

Steamer Clam Chowder from New England

Steamer clam chowder is my idea of the perfect New England chowder. This recipe keeps things simple yet spectacular with clams, bacon, potatoes, and ladlefuls of creamy broth.
Prep Time1 hour 10 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 20 minutes
Total Time2 hours 30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: New England
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 356

Ingredients

  • 5 pounds medium soft-shell clams, discard any dead clams or those with cracked shells
  • 4 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) pieces or (and this is utterly non-traditional) Portuguese linguiça
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) cubes
  • 1 3/4 cups heavy cream
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Kosher or sea salt, only if needed

Garnish

  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • Oyster crackers, optional
US - Metric

Instructions

  • Place a colander in a large bowl and fill it with cold water. Add the clams, gently swish them around, then let soak for a few minutes.
    Lift the colander full of clams out of the bowl. Drain and refill the bowl. Repeat soaking, draining, and refilling until the water is clear and grit-less.
  • Pour 2 cups of water into an 8-quart pot, cover, and bring to a boil. Scoop the clams into the pot and steam, covered, for 4 minutes. Remove the lid and gently stir the clams with a wooden spoon.

    ☞ TESTER TIP: The clam shells are very brittle, so stir carefully!

    Cover and continue steaming until all the clams open, 4 to 6 minutes. Discard any clams that don't open.
  • Transfer the clams to a large bowl and strain the broth through a sieve. You should have about 4 cups.
  • When cooled, remove the clams from the shells. Snip off and discard the siphons and the black, tough skin covering the siphons.
  • Heat a 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over low heat and dump in the bacon. Cook until the bacon renders some of its fat, raise the heat to medium, and cook until chewy-crispy. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon bits to a small dish.
  • Add the butter, onion, celery, thyme, and bay leaves to the bacon fat in the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the potatoes and reserved broth. The broth should just about cover the potatoes. If not, dribble in some water. Crank the heat to high and bring to a boil, cover, and cook until the potatoes are tender on the outside but firm inside, 8 to 10 minutes.
  • Slide the pot off the heat. Stir in the clams and the cream and add salt and pepper to taste. Like all soups, this is better when it has time to sit. Thirty minutes will do.
  • When ready to serve, simmer the clam chowder over low heat. Stir gently a few times.
  • Ladle the clam chowder into bowls. Scatter over the bacon and the chopped parsley. Serve the oyster crackers on the side.

Notes

    1. Clean--Make sure to clean and purge the clams fully. Gritty chowder isn't fun.
    2. Thicken--For a thicker chowder, in step 7, mash some potato cubes with a fork and cook longer to release starch.
    3. Store--If you are not serving the chowder within the hour, let it cool a bit, then refrigerate. Once cooled completely, cover the chowder.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 356kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 84mg | Sodium: 267mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g