New England Clam Chowder

An Easy and Delicious Recipe for Homemade Chowder

Mar 19, 2009 Delphine Cull

There's no need to buy canned soup when within one hour, your family can enjoy a delicious homemade chowder.

Chowders and fish stews have been prepared by cooks since the first human pulled a fish from the sea. The name "chowder" comes from the French word for cauldron, "chaudree." The thick, rich stews were originally popular among fishermen and coastal residents, as chowder is a tasty and economical way to prepare the seafood that was a staple of their diet.

Recipes for the dish started appearing in American cookbooks in the 1800's. According to old recipes on Food Timeline, chowders were originally a layered dish. Onion, salt pork and hard crackers were layered in the pot, then slabs of fish were added. Water and wine formed the broth, and many different herbs and spices were added to impart flavor.

There are hundreds of recipes for chowder available, and they all have certain things in common. Depending on the type of chowder being made, the broth will be creamy or clear, and may have a tomato base. The protein will be fish or seafood. Onion is always used, and in most cases, potatoes will thicken the soup.

This wonderful recipe uses half and half to give the soup a creamy richness. Canned clams cut down on preparation time. The clam juice also imparts an extra element of flavor to the chowder. Smoky bacon adds an extra heartiness to the dish. Best of all, the whole meal is made in one pot.

New England Clam Chowder

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

  • 2 6.5 oz cans of minced clams
  • 1/2 pound bacon
  • 2 cups half and half
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 3 stalks celery, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. butter
  • 4 large potatoes, chopped into bite size pieces
  • 2 Tbsp. cornstarch
  • salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

  1. Fry bacon in large soup pot on medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pot and set aside. Chop into half inch pieces.
  2. Pour off bacon grease, leaving enough in pot to coat bottom, about 4 Tbsp. Add 1 Tbsp. butter.
  3. Add onion and celery to pot. Saute until onions are translucent. Add finely diced garlic and saute one more minute.
  4. Add chopped bacon to pot.
  5. Add two cans of minced clams, including juice. Simmer a few minutes until liquid is slightly reduced.
  6. Add two cups half and half and two cups whole milk. Bring to a simmer for ten minutes to infuse flavors.
  7. Add diced potatoes and simmer until tender.
  8. The potatoes will thicken the chowder, but for additional thickening, mix two Tbsp. corn starch with half cup of milk until smooth and pour into chowder off heat. Stir while chowder thickens.
  9. Add salt and pepper to taste.

For those who prefer a lighter soup, use only milk, or try fat free half and half.

Garnish with additional crumbled bacon, parsley or oyster crackers. For an extra treat, serve chowder in a sour dough bread bowl. Add a salad and dinner is served.

The copyright of the article New England Clam Chowder in Recipes is owned by Delphine Cull. Permission to republish New England Clam Chowder in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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