Clam chowder, New England’s signature seafood dish, derives its name from chaudière, the French word for cauldron. The saltiness of clams and salt pork varies; taste the soup before serving and season if needed. The below recipe serves six and can be prepared in roughly 70 minutes. Serves 6
Ingredients:
1 cup water
18 large littleneck clams
3 slices of bacon
1 medium onion
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound all-purpose potatoes
2 cups half-and-half
1 cup milk
¾ teaspoon salt or to taste
Directions:
- Boil the water over high heat in 6-quart saucepot. Put in clams and boil again.
- Lower the heat slightly. Cover the pot and let simmer until the clams open, 5-10 minutes.
- Put the clams in a bowl as they open. Throw away any clams that don’t open.
- Remove the clams from the shells once they’re cool to the touch. Chop them up coarsely. Throw away the shells.
- Strain the clam broth through a paper towel-lined sieve into a measuring cup. Add water if necessary to make a total of 2 cups.
- Cook bacon over medium heat in the same clean saucepot until lightly browned. Use slotted spoon to move the bacon to paper towels.
- Put the onion in the pot with the drippings. Cook until tender, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in flour and pepper until blended. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in clam broth gradually until smooth. Add potatoes and heat until boiling.
- Lower the heat and cover. Simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Add half-and-half, milk, and chopped clams. Heat but do not boil. Stir in bacon.
- Add salt as needed.
Recipe adapted from Good Housekeeping (i)