American · Soup · SAMPLE RECIPE
New England clam chowder · creamy clams & potatoes
A creamy bowl of chopped clams, tender potatoes, celery, and smoky bacon. Bottled clam juice and canned clams make this coastal favorite practical for a home kitchen.
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A NOTE FROM THE KITCHEN
Canned clams keep the preparation straightforward.
Use plain canned cooked clams, weighed after draining, and bottled clam juice for the measured broth. This recipe does not begin with live shellfish. Milk and cream give the chowder its pale color; a modest amount of flour thickens it without turning it into a paste.
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New England clam chowder · creamy clams & potatoes
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BEHIND THE DISH · New England coastal cooking
New England clam chowder · creamy clams & potatoesBeyond the plate.
Clams and potatoes give this familiar pale chowder its substance, while a little pork brings a smoky note.
ORIGINS & EVOLUTION
One branch of the chowder family.
Chowder is a broad family of substantial seafood soups. The creamy New England clam version is especially recognizable, but neither its thickness nor its exact dairy mixture is fixed. Salt pork and bacon are two ways cooks have seasoned the base.
CULTURAL CONTEXT
Coastal flavor in a home pot.
A bowl of chowder connects the sweetness of clams with ingredients that make a small catch go further: potatoes, onion, and a filling broth. Modern home cooks can also use canned clams, making the dish possible beyond the coast without handling live shellfish.
AT THE TABLE
A gently thickened pantry version.
Our recipe combines bottled clam juice with milk and cream. Potatoes simmer until tender before the cooked clams are added, and a little reserved bacon finishes each bowl. There are no shells, bread garnish, or separate seafood-stock instructions hidden in the preparation.
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