New England Clam Chowder
New England Clam Chowder is a classic dish that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is hearty, flavorful and easy to make. This recipe uses diced bacon, onions, potatoes, half-and-half and minced clams.
New England Clam Chowder is a classic dish that is perfect for a cold winter day. It is hearty, flavorful and easy to make. This recipe uses diced bacon, onions, potatoes, half-and-half and minced clams.
- Carbohydrate 43.2396447129614 g
- Cholesterol 246.481172078599 mg
- Fat 77.467370532382 g
- Fiber 2.16662505049903 g
- Protein 20.6963601724438 g
- Saturated Fat 48.2364781646218 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (790g)
- Sodium 298.586000235833 mg
- Sugar 41.0730196624624 g
- Trans Fat 4.09815734707648 g
- Calories 934 calories
Step-by-step
- Place diced bacon in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Cook until almost crisp; add onions, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in water and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook uncovered for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender.
- Pour in half-and-half, and add butter. Drain clams, reserving clam liquid; stir clams and 1/2 of the clam liquid into the soup. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until heated through. Do not allow to boil.
Operating under strict budget constraints, canned minced clams deliver concentrated briny flavor without requiring expensive fresh bivalves or tedious shucking equipment. Rendering diced bacon over medium-high heat builds the essential fat layer needed to sweat onions translucently without scorching them. Starchy potatoes release enough natural polymers into the simmering water to thicken the broth naturally before dairy enters the pot.
Half-and-half introduces a delicate balance of milk solids and butterfat that curdles easily if overheated. Controlling the heat is paramount once the dairy is added, requiring a gentle warm-through rather than a vigorous boil. Reserved clam liquid acts as a potent seasoning agent, injecting pure ocean salinity that plain water or milk cannot replicate on its own.
Judging doneness relies entirely on visual and textural cues rather than digital instrumentation. Piercing a potato cube with a fork should yield zero resistance to the center, signaling the starches are fully hydrated. The chowder is ready to remove from the burner the moment steam rises steadily and small bubbles form at the edge of the pot without breaking into a rolling boil.
Pairing this rich chowder requires high-acid or highly textured accompaniments to cut through forty-eight grams of saturated fat per serving. Oyster crackers provide a necessary crunch against the tender potato chunks, while a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc offers sharp acidity that cleanses the palate between rich spoonfuls.
