Clam Chowder
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Clam Chowder
 Creamy New England clam chowder made with fresh clams. Combine in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, with 1/4 cup water: 1/2 pound salt pork or bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes Cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cook until the water has evaporated and the pork has begun to brown and crisp in spots. Add: Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes longer. 2 tablespoons butter 1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup) 2 stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1 cup) Add and stir to combine: 1 cup water or clam juice Add the clams or quohogs and increase the heat to high: 2 1/2 pounds live cherrystone or littleneck clams (see notes) Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams begin to open, about 3 minutes. As they open, remove with tongs to a large bowl. Keep juices in the pot and the lid shut as much as possible. After 8 minutes, discard any clams that have not yet begun to open. Add to the pot, with a pinch of salt and pepper: 1 quart whole milk 1 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 2 bay leaves Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper Bring to a boil and reduce to a bare simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and starting to break down, about 15 minutes. remove the meat from the clams and roughly chop it. Discard the shells. Transfer the chopped clams and as much juice as possible to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Let drain, then transfer the chopped clams to a separate bowl. Set both bowls aside. Once the potatoes are tender, pour the mixture through the fine-mesh strainer into the clam-juice bowl. Rap the strainer with the back of a knife or a honing steel to pass the liquids through. Transfer the strained solids to the bowl with the chopped clams. The bowl underneath should hold a white, semi-broken broth. The chopped clams, potatoes, salt pork, and aromatics should be in the separate bowl. Transfer the liquid to a blender and blend on high until smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Return the liquid and solids to the Dutch oven. Add and stir to combine: 1 cup heavy cream Reheat until simmering. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with: Oyster crackers, for serving |
Clam Chowder public domain crumb: salt pork, clams and potatoes simmered in milk The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book includes “Clam Chowder”. Fannie Merritt Farmer wrote it (1896). Fannie Farmer wrote this standard American cookbook with level measurements. Project Gutenberg has its public-domain text. Differences: Both cook the fat out of salt pork and soften onion. Both simmer clams and potatoes in milk into a New England chowder served with crackers. The popular Serious Eats version steams live clams open in the pot with celery. It simmers the potatoes in milk with bay leaves. It finishes with heavy cream, so it is richer. Farmer thickens with flour and soaked common crackers. She uses no celery, bay or cream. This makes a thinner, more old-fashioned milk chowder. |
| Online recipe | Ancestor recipe |
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Clam Chowder
Online recipe (as published / commonly shared)
4 to 6 servings · Prep 5 min · Cook 45 min · Total 50 min
We wrote this recipe in the Joy of Cooking style. Every amount, time and step comes from the source's recipe card.
Creamy New England clam chowder made with fresh clams.
Combine in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, with 1/4 cup water:
1/2 pound salt pork or bacon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
Cook, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Cook until the water has evaporated and the pork has begun to brown and crisp in spots. Add: Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes longer.
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
2 stalks celery, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
Add and stir to combine:
1 cup water or clam juice
Add the clams or quohogs and increase the heat to high:
2 1/2 pounds live cherrystone or littleneck clams (see notes)
Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams begin to open, about 3 minutes. As they open, remove with tongs to a large bowl. Keep juices in the pot and the lid shut as much as possible. After 8 minutes, discard any clams that have not yet begun to open.
Add to the pot, with a pinch of salt and pepper:
1 quart whole milk
1 1/2 pounds russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 bay leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring to a boil and reduce to a bare simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and starting to break down, about 15 minutes.
remove the meat from the clams and roughly chop it. Discard the shells. Transfer the chopped clams and as much juice as possible to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Let drain, then transfer the chopped clams to a separate bowl. Set both bowls aside.
Once the potatoes are tender, pour the mixture through the fine-mesh strainer into the clam-juice bowl. Rap the strainer with the back of a knife or a honing steel to pass the liquids through. Transfer the strained solids to the bowl with the chopped clams. The bowl underneath should hold a white, semi-broken broth. The chopped clams, potatoes, salt pork, and aromatics should be in the separate bowl.
Transfer the liquid to a blender and blend on high until smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Return the liquid and solids to the Dutch oven. Add and stir to combine:
1 cup heavy cream
Reheat until simmering. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with:
Oyster crackers, for serving
Citations
- Serious Eats · New England Clam Chowder: https://www.seriouseats.com/new-england-clam-chowder-recipe
- Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=Clam+Chowder
- web writeups: https://www.google.com/search?q=Clam+Chowder+recipe
Cookbook ancestor
- Affiliate: buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1616085436?tag=recipeancesto-20
- Reference: The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer (1896). Publisher: Skyhorse, 2012 edition, hardcover, ISBN 978-1616085438.
We put this together for personal use. See the citations.
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Ancestor recipe (public domain)Clam Chowder: ancestor recipe (public domain) From: The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer (1896) salt pork, clams and potatoes simmered in milk |
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- Clam Chowder
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- Ancestor
- Clam Chowder
- Source
- The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer (1896)
- Differences
Both cook the fat out of salt pork and soften onion. Both simmer clams and potatoes in milk into a New England chowder served with crackers. The popular Serious Eats version steams live clams open in the pot with celery. It simmers the potatoes in milk with bay leaves. It finishes with heavy cream, so it is richer. Farmer thickens with flour and soaked common crackers. She uses no celery, bay or cream. This makes a thinner, more old-fashioned milk chowder.
- Online sources
- Serious Eats · New England Clam Chowder
Pinterest
web writeups - Date
- Sep 2026
The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie Merritt Farmer (1896).
Fannie Farmer wrote this standard American cookbook with level measurements. Project Gutenberg has its public-domain text.