Mel's Kitchen Cafe: My Favorite Boston Clam Chowder
Classic, warm, creamy and hearty. This soup is delicious and perfect for the cool weather.
Classic, warm, creamy and hearty. This soup is delicious and perfect for the cool weather.
- Carbohydrate 0.1134175 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.005705 g
- Fiber 0.046375 g
- Protein 0.0191625 g
- Saturated Fat 0.001715 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (0g)
- Sodium 0.077 mg
- Sugar 0.0670425 g
- Trans Fat 0.000245000000000002 g
- Calories 0 calories
Step-by-step
- Drain the clams and reserve the liquid. In a large pot, place the vegetables and pour the claim juice over the top. Add enough water to barely cover the vegetables. Simmer over medium heat until the vegetables are almost tender (don’t overcook them in this step!), about 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt the butter and add the flour, making a roux with a wire whisk. Constantly stirring, add the half-and-half slowly. Cook and stir until smooth and thickened, without boiling. When slightly thickened, add the roux to the vegetables and add the clams, salt, vinegar and pepper (to taste). Can keep warm (without boiling!) for a up to an hour or serve immediately.
Preventing Separated Dairy
Many cooks ruin chowder by allowing dairy-heavy bases to boil, which denatures the milk proteins and creates a grainy texture. Maintain a gentle simmer beneath the boiling point throughout the thickening stage. Whisking half-and-half into a cooked butter and flour roux creates a stable starch matrix that protects the dairy from curdling under moderate heat.
Balancing Salt and Acidity
Heavy seafood bisques and chowders often taste flat because diners rely solely on sodium to wake up the palate. Adding red wine vinegar introduces acetic acid that cuts through the rich butterfat and mimics the bright minerality of fresh ocean water. Yukon gold potatoes hold their structural integrity better than russets when simmered in clam juice for five minutes.
Accompaniments and Variations
Pair this hearty soup with saltine crackers or a crusty sourdough boule to absorb the rich liquid without overpowering the delicate clam flavor. Substituting whole milk for half-and-half reduces viscosity significantly, requiring an extra tablespoon of flour in the initial roux to compensate for the loss of milk fat.
