Had a nice bowl of clam chowder on a rainy day at a restaurant, and remembered what good comfort food it is.
Anyone have a chowda recipe they would recommend?
This recipe comes from Anthony Bourdain’s cookbook. It’s incredibly simple; the only somewhat complicated part is steaming the clams open. It makes 6-8 servings; I usually cut it in half.
8 dozen clams
1/4 lbs salt pork or bacon, diced
2 white or yellow onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
3 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
Add 1/2 cup water to a large pan with a lid. Arrange a single layer of clams in the pan, cover, and bring to a boil. Remove clams as they open and set them aside to cool, and add more to the pan. Throw away any that don’t open in a reasonable amount of time. Once the clams are cool enough to handle remove them from their shells, and try to save as much of the cooking liquid as possible, place them in a bowl and set aside.
Fry the pork in a stockpot, with a little water to keep it from browning, until it renders its fat. Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and cook until they’re translucent. Add the potatoes and just enough water to cover them. Simmer until the potatoes are tender.
Whisk together the flour and a little milk and add to the pot. Add the clams and reserved cooking liquid. Simmer until they’re warmed through, about 5 minutes. Add the milk and cream and simmer just long enough to warm it up but not boil. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
That’s as good a recipe as any. The clam juice is fairly critical for the flavor. Without it, you might as well just make a potato soup, which is also good.
Ah, “hot ocean milk with dead animal croutons". For some reason I thought there was butter involved, but I must be thinking of the cream.
A good New England clam chowder is a wonderful thing. A bad New England clam chowder is beyond horrible. A Manhattan clam chowder is pointless.
Faster, simpler and still very good, mostly like WildaBeasts recipe but I have a couple of short cuts.
I get chopped sea clams from Costco, they come in a pack of 2 large 3lb cans, use one can but only some of the juice. I use either some fried and drained bacon and cut it up with scissors, or we usually have a package of bacon crumbles in the fridge that we use for various things like salads. I add some diced or thinly sliced celery mainly for color and a little texture.
And I cheat on the creamy sauce part by skipping the flour, milk, cream stuff, and use a dry packet of country style gravy and a quart of half and half. Just the right proportions that hits that creamy soup part.
Wait until the potatoes are about half cooked before adding the clams, you don’t want to over cook them into little pieces of rubber eraser. Of course salt, pepper, and garlic to taste.
You can have some excellent chowder in about an hour, including the slicing and dicing and it will seem like you are an excellent cook who really put some time into it.
A Manhattan clam chowder is what happens when you start making cioppino only to realize too late that you’re short of the ingredients.
Some might consider canned clams and their juice heresy, but that one substitution and it’s quick and easy enough to make for a weekday meal. I’ve done it with shelled clams, but canned is acceptable. Who has the time to steam and de-clam 8 dozen shells?
Never understood the hate for Manhattan-style. I mean, I do if you’re from the New England area, then it’s a regional rivalry, like hating on the Yankees or something. But clams and a tomato base go together deliciously.
I like a good Manhattan-style chowder, and I don’t care who knows it 
Thanks, all. Will investigate local clam options.
I made this one once. I have not tried Bourdain’s but find his cookbook has some great recipes and some mediocre ones. The above recipe looks good. This recipe uses canned clams and bottled juice so is easier but still tasty with decent reviews. Many reviews mention reasonable modifications including fresh clams, thyme, leeks, sherry, yada yada.