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Boston-Style Creamy Clam Chowder

Source of Recipe

From "Chowderland" by Brooke Dojny


Recipe Introduction

"This chowder, made with hard-shell clams and lightly flour-thickened, originated in the Boston area and over time has become the chowder standard for most of the country. It is a rich, creamy, deeply flavored brew, plain and unadorned, except for the scatter of thyme and fresh parsley."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ 4 ounces salt pork or bacon, cut into ½-inch dice
â—¦ 6 tablespoons butter, plus more if needed
â—¦ 1 large onion, chopped
â—¦ 1 large celery stalk, thinly sliced
â—¦ 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
â—¦ 3 cups bottled clam juice
â—¦ 2 cups water, plus more if needed
â—¦ 1 pound all-purpose potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
â—¦ 2 teaspoons dried thyme or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh
â—¦ 1 bay leaf, broken in half
â—¦ 3 cups chopped hard-shell clams with their liquor
â—¦ 1 ½ cups heavy cream
â—¦ Salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley


Recipe

Cook the salt pork with the butter in a large heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over medium-low heat until crisp and the fat is rendered, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the cooked bits with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and reserve. If you don't have 8 tablespoons of fat in the pot, make up the difference with additional butter.

Add the onion and celery and cook over medium heat until they begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle on the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the clam juice and water and bring to a boil over high heat, whisking until smooth.

Add the potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf, and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until the potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the clams and cream, cook for 5 minutes, and remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the chowder sit at cool room temperature for at least an hour or, better yet, refrigerate for up to two days.

Reheat over low heat, adding more broth, cream, or water if the chowder is too thick. Ladle into bowls, sprinkle with parsley, and pass the reserved pork bits (reheated in the microwave) for sprinkling on the chowder if desired.

Makes 4 to 5 servings