New England Clam and Seafood Chowder
This chowder combines lessons that I learned from Marjorie Druker, owner of the Massachusetts-based New England Soup Factory, and Arturo Camacho, executive chef of Shell & Bones in New Haven, Connecticut. Camacho garnishes his bowls with kettle-style potato chips; Druker, meanwhile, gravitates toward tried-and-true oyster crackers. Whatever the garnish, I love the creamy lightness of this broth.
By Amy Traverso|Jan 17 2022|
New England Clam and Seafood Chowder
Photo Credit: Michael Piazza | Styling by Liz Neily | Silo Soup Mug by Farmhouse PotteryThis chowder combines lessons that I learned from Marjorie Druker, owner of the Massachusetts-based New England Soup Factory, and Arturo Camacho, executive chef of Shell & Bones in New Haven, Connecticut. Camacho garnishes his bowls with kettle-style potato chips; Druker, meanwhile, gravitates toward tried-and-true oyster crackers. Whatever the garnish, I love the creamy lightness of this broth.
Yield
6 servings
Ingredients
½ cup plus ¼ cup dry white wine
50 littleneck clams(1 bag), sorted and cleaned (see Note, below)
2 slices bacon, for garnish
2 tablespoons salted butter
1 ½ large onions, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
2 cups fish stock
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 pound white fish (such as halibut or cod)
1 ½ cups heavy cream
Clams in shell, oyster crackers, and minced parsley, for garnish
Instructions
To cook the clams, pour 1½ cups water and ½ cup wine into a large pot over high heat. Bring to a boil, then add the clams. Cover and cook until they open, 5 to 7 minutes. Discard any that don’t open. Use a slotted spoon to transfer clams to a bowl. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve or cheesecloth and reserve 2 cups clam broth. When the clams are cool enough to handle, set aside 6 in the shell for garnish, then remove the meat from the rest and chop into small pieces.
In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until browned and crisp. Remove bacon (leaving fat in the pot), drain on paper towels, crumble, and set aside.
Add butter, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme to the Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until translucent, about 6 minutes. Add Old Bay seasoning and 1 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add ¼ cup wine and cook for 1 minute. Add the reserved clam broth and fish stock and bring to a simmer, stirring, then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 more minutes. Add potatoes and simmer, covered, until just tender, 7 to 10 minutes. Add fish and cook, stirring gently, until opaque and flaky. Add cream and chopped clams and cook until warmed through. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and garnish each with one clam in shell, oyster crackers, crumbled bacon, and minced parsley.
Notes
Note
Before cooking clams or mussels, confirm that they are still alive. Tap any open ones to make sure they close; if they don’t, discard. Alternatively, you can try these substitutions:
• For the New England Clam and Seafood Chowder, substitute 1 pound store-bought chopped clam meat (preferably local) and 2 cups of bottled clam juice for the littleneck clams and broth. Just simmer the clams for an additional 5 minutes.
• For the Mussel and Miso Chowder, substitute 1 pound frozen mussels for fresh ones, and add to the chowder with the milk.
I made this to try a new recipe. It is NOT a New England chowder at all. Old Bay gave the chowder way too much heat and the paprika overpowered the clams and cod. There’s just way too much of it in the recipe. Maybe a pinch? Old bay is great in the south with crabs but not so good in New England chowders. I’ll stick to my tried and true Mew England seafood chowder.
I totally agree with you. No old bay! Also we always start with diced salt pork and leave some in the pot reserve the rest that is crispy to use on top when served. I also add a pat of butter to the top. So happy they did not use flour! I always use haddock.
I agree with you. Old Bay is best used with Crabs. But actually, there’s another seafood spice which originated in Baltimore Maryland that I use when making stews and chowders, even though it was created as a spice for Maryland crabs, and that’s Obrycki’s Seafood Spice.
I’m
Partial to chowder made exclusively with whole clams, usually steamers, as chopped clams seem to rob me of the “clam” in the chowder. I somewhat understand that some people are averse to bellies, but not me. Chopped clams seem so…disappointing!
We loved this chowder. A nice change from traditional clam chowder.
I made this chowder. Only change I made was putting only 1.5 teaspoons of Old Bay seasoning instead of a tablespoon.
We live in Iowa and visit Maine often. This recipe is right on! We too, used less Seafood Seasoning. Warm garlic bread topped it off. Thanks to everyone. Phyllis