AKA: SLAM CHOWDAH
Author: Susanne at dishwithme.com
It is February, so soup season is still on! But, this isn’t just any soup, oh, no, no, no! This is Creamy New England Clam Chowder and it is ooooh, so good!
As a child I enjoyed Campbell’s clam chowder in the can/tin! Now, no, not so much. As I have grown, aged and evolved, so have my taste buds.
Many, many years ago I discovered a copycat clam chowder recipe online that I fell in love with, but over the years, I have changed it up and now make it my way. So, my recipe is loosely based on a copycat recipe from The Cliff House restaurant in Maine. I hope to go there one day. I’ve been to Maine, but never made it to the Cliff House restaurant, though. Some day.
HELPFUL HINTS
Make the seasoning blend first, this way it is ready when you need it. The recipe for the spice blend will make more than you need for this recipe, simply place the extra into a zippered freezer bag and store in the freezer. I have stored mine in the freezer for more than a year and it was still perfectly good.
Be sure to not add the clams until the very end of the cooking process. Canned clams are already cooked, so if you cook them for a long period of time, they will overcook and be chewy, tough and unenjoyable.
If you like the flavor of clams, but do not enjoy the actual clams, simply use the bottled clam juice and leave the clams out.
I often use a combination of chopped and whole clams and sometimes even add extra.
GROCERY LIST
- Dried herbs: oregano, parsley, dill weed, sage, basil, thyme, herbs de Provence, tarragon, rosemary
- All-purpose flour
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Bacon – use a good quality smoky one
- Real butter – always real
- EVOO
- Yellow onion
- Fresh garlic
- Orrington Farms – chicken broth base
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Bottled clam juice
- Chicken broth
- Heavy whipping cream
- Canned clams, chopped, whole, or a combination
LINKS TO OTHER RECIPES
HOMEMADE ITALIAN CROUTONS If you like a little extra zip, these would be delicious on top.
APPLE CINNAMON MINI MUFFINS These tasty morsels would make an excellent dessert!
LINKS TO PRODUCTS/EQUIPMENT USED
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I use this chicken broth base and the beef for so many recipes. I ALWAYS have it stocked in my spice pantry.
A large pot like this is a must for soup making.
A mortar and pestle like this comes in handy when blending herbs.
Equipment
- Large soup pot
- Mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- SPICE BLEND
- 2 teaspoons Oregano ,dried
- 2 teaspoons Parsley ,dried
- 2 teaspoons Dill weed ,dried
- 2 teaspoons Sage ,ground
- 2 teaspoons Basil ,dried
- 2 teaspoons Thyme ,dried
- 1 Tablepoon Herbs de Provence ,dried
- 2 teaspoons Tarragon
- 2 teaspoons Rosemary
- 1 Tablespoon All-purpose flour
- FOR THE CHOWDER
- 8 medium Yukon Gold potatoes ,peeled and diced
- 6 slices Bacon ,use a good quality smoky bacon
- 1 stick Butter ,real
- 2 Tablespoons EVOO
- 1 medium Onion ,diced
- 3 medium Garlic cloves ,grated
- 2 Tablespoons Flour ,all-purpose
- 1 Tablespoon Spice blend
- 1 Tablespoon Chicken broth base ,Orrington Farms
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 20 grinds Freshly ground black pepper
- 16 ounces Bottled clam juice ,2 – 8 ounce bottles
- 2 cups Chicken broth
- 2 cups Heavy whipping cream
- 13 ounces Canned clams ,reserve the juice
Instructions
- Make the spice blend and set aside. If you own a mortar and pestle, use this to grind up the herbs and incorporate the flour. If not, just mix it all together. This will make more than you need for this single batch, simply place the remaining herb blend in a zippered freezer bag and store it in the freezer for next time.
- Wash and peel the potatoes. Dice into bite sized pieces and set aside.
- Drain the canned clams, reserving the clam juice. Set aside, you will use it later.
- In a big soup pot on medium heat, melt the butter. To the melted butter, add the EVOO, the diced bacon, the diced onion and the seasoning blend. Cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent and the bacon is cooked, but not browned.
- Next, add the grated garlic and cook for 1 minute.
- Add the diced potatoes and cook, stirring often for 5 minutes.
- Add the flour to the herb/potato mixture. Cook and stir until combined, about 1 minute.
- Add Kosher salt and pepper.
- Raise the heat to high and add the chicken broth base, chicken broth and the clam juice (bottled and reserved) and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture comes to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-high and continue simmering until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Once the potatoes are fork tender, lower the heat to medium, add the heavy whipping cream and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often.
- Add the clams and cook just long enough to heat them, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Do a taste test to check salt and pepper.
- Serve right away, either plain or with oyster crackers.