New England Clam Chowder (Printable)

Hearty chowder with tender clams, potatoes, and aromatic vegetables, delivering coastal New England flavors.

# What You'll Need:

→ Seafood

01 - 2 lbs fresh littleneck clams, scrubbed
02 - 1 cup bottled clam juice or reserved clam cooking liquid

→ Vegetables

03 - 2 medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
04 - 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 celery stalks, finely chopped
06 - 1 small carrot, finely chopped
07 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

08 - 1 ½ cups heavy cream
09 - 1 cup whole milk
10 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter

→ Pantry

11 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
12 - 2 slices bacon, diced
13 - 1 bay leaf
14 - ½ tsp dried thyme
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
16 - 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
17 - Oyster crackers (optional, for serving)

# Step-by-step Directions:

01 - Rinse clams under cold water and scrub shells. In a large pot, add clams and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and steam for 5–7 minutes until clams open. Discard any unopened clams. Remove clams; strain and reserve the cooking liquid.
02 - Allow clams to cool, then remove clam meat from shells. Chop coarsely and set aside.
03 - In a large Dutch oven, cook diced bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving fat in pot.
04 - Add butter to bacon fat, then sauté onion, celery, carrot, and garlic until softened, approximately 5 minutes.
05 - Sprinkle flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 1 minute to form a roux.
06 - Gradually stir in reserved clam liquid and bottled clam juice, scraping any browned bits from the bottom. Add diced potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10–12 minutes.
07 - Reduce heat to low. Stir in chopped clams, cooked bacon, heavy cream, and whole milk. Simmer gently for 5–10 minutes without boiling, stirring occasionally.
08 - Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove bay leaf. Ladle chowder into bowls, garnish with chopped parsley, and serve hot with oyster crackers if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like home the moment it hits the bowl, creamy and briny and impossibly comforting.
  • The whole thing comes together in under an hour, yet somehow tastes like you've been simmering it all day.
02 -
  • Never let the chowder boil once the cream is in—it will separate and look curdled and sad, and no amount of stirring will fix it.
  • If your clams seem to give you less liquid than expected, that's when the bottled clam juice becomes your hero.
03 -
  • Make this a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight—the flavors deepen and meld in a way that makes it taste even better the next day.
  • If you're worried about the cream curdling, temper it by slowly stirring a ladleful of the hot broth into the cream before adding it all back to the pot.
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