New England Clam Chowder

Hearty, creamy white soup made with fresh clams, potatoes, and smokey bacon. A great comfort food dish, no matter what season it is!

Makes about 4 cups

Course Soup

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings

Calories 592kcal

Author Imma

Add about 3 cups of water to a large pot, then add clam, cover, and place over high heat. Cook clams for about 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, stir the clams, and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes or until they open up.
Turn off the heat and discard any clams that didn't open. Strain the liquid from the pot through a mesh strainer lined with a coffee filter and reserve it for later. Coarsely chop the clams and set them aside.

In a large pot over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy. Drain it on paper towels while leaving 1-2 tablespoons of bacon drippings in the pot.
Next, melt the butter, follow with the onions and celery, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, bay leaf, Creole seasoning, and flour, and cook for about a minute or until the garlic is fragrant and the flour turns pale golden.
Pour in the reserved clam broth, cream, and half-and-half while whisking constantly until combined. Stir in the potatoes and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 10 minutes).
Add the chopped clams and cook until heated through (about 2 minutes)—adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. If the chowder is too thick, gradually stir in more half-and-half or clam juice until you reach your preferred consistency.
Garnish with chopped bacon and chives, and serve immediately with crusty bread or cornbread.

Replace half-and-half with ½ cup heavy cream and ½ cup milk.
If you prefer a thicker chowder, simmer the soup a little longer or blend some potatoes and add it to the mixture. For thinner chowder, add more clam juice or half and half.
Littlenecks and cherrystone clams make the best clam chowder, IMO. But they need to be fresh for the best New England clam chowder.
Some people use canned clams, and it works (one 12-ounce can). But if I can't get fresh live clams, I prefer chopping up frozen clams from the grocery store's freezer section.
Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.