New England Clam Chowder
Tender fresh clams and Russet potatoes in a rich cream broth, built on rendered salt pork and bacon for classic New England depth.
- 5 pounds live cherrystone clams in shells (or quahogs), shells scrubbed
- 1 ounce salt pork, diced
- 1 1/2 ounces bacon, diced fine
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup minced celery
- 1 cup onion, chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 pounds Russet potatoes, peeled and 1/2-inch diced
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 cups stock from cooking the clams
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups heavy cream
- Black pepper, to taste
- Butter, for serving
- Oyster crackers, for serving
- In a pot large enough to hold all the clams, bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add the clams, cover, and cook over medium-high heat for 7 to 9 minutes until they pop open, discarding any that don't open. Remove the clams to a sheet tray and reserve the cooking broth, then strain it through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter or cheesecloth — straining a few times if needed to remove every trace of sand.
- If the strained broth measures more than 3 cups, simmer it down to exactly 3 cups to concentrate the flavor.
- Remove the clams from their shells. Using a sharp knife, separate the belly from the rest of the meat and cut the remaining meat into bite-sized pieces. Split the bellies lengthwise, scrape out and discard the contents, then add the chopped bellies to the reserved clam meat. Discard the shells.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, cook the diced salt pork and bacon until rendered and lightly browned, about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the butter and let it melt into the rendered fat.
- Add the celery, onion, garlic, and half of the diced potatoes, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onions turn translucent. Stir in the flour and cook for another minute to work out any raw flour taste.
- Add the 3 cups of reserved clam broth, the remaining potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once the potatoes are tender, remove the pot from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and stir in the chopped clams and heavy cream. If making this ahead, hold off on adding the cream until you're ready to reheat and serve.
- Season the chowder with black pepper as needed and warm it through to serving temperature — keep in mind the clams and salt pork already bring plenty of salt, so taste before adding more.
- Ladle into bowls and serve with a dollop of butter on top of each portion and oyster crackers on the side.
Chef's Note: Cooking the clams in plain water first and reserving that broth is what gives this chowder its deep, briny backbone — it's essentially homemade clam stock, so straining out every bit of sand matters more than any other single step in the recipe. Rendering salt pork alongside the bacon is an old New England technique that adds a savory richness modern recipes often skip in favor of bacon alone, and it's worth seeking out if you can find it.
True New England chowder is meant to be brothy rather than thick, but if you prefer a heartier consistency, a few extra tablespoons of flour cooked in with the vegetables — or a butter-and-flour roux whisked in at the end — will thicken it to taste. This chowder is also a good make-ahead option: prepare everything through the broth and potato stage, then hold off on stirring in the cream until you're ready to reheat and serve, since cream can separate if reheated too many times.
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