New England Clam Chowder

By polloazul

I make my clam chowder using a combination of live clams (for the chunks) and cans of minced clams (for the overall taste). Live clams go by many names (quahogs, littlenecks, middlenecks, and cherrystones are the most common), and the names usually just refer to the size of the clam. You don’t want them too big, because they’ll taste metallic; anything smaller than 3″ across should be just fine.

Ingredients

• 5-7 lbs live clams (quahogs, littlenecks, middlenecks, or cherrystones)
• 2 6.5oz cans minced clams (water retained)
• 4 medium red potatoes, chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 1 medium onion, chopped finely
• 6 oz uncured/nitrate-free bacon (6 strips), chopped
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp potato (or arrowroot) starch

Preparation

Step 1

Scrub the clams with a brush and rinse them thoroughly with cold water. Place them in a pot with the 3 cups of water. Steam on high heat for about 4 minutes, until the clams are just slightly open. You don’t want to cook them fully yet – that’s for later.


With a pair of tongs, remove the clams and transfer them to a bowl to cool. Make sure that you pour out all the liquid and retain it, setting it aside for later.


Once the clams are cool enough, pry the shells open and remove the clams (cut them out with a paring knife if needed). Chop the clams into thirds and mix them with the canned clams. Add the extra liquid from the canned clams to the rest of the liquid that you set aside earlier.


Cook the chopped bacon on medium heat until it becomes crispy, then add the onion and sauté until the onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Pour the bacon/onions into a pot and add the potatoes, bay leaf, and clam water (don’t pour the very last portion of it into the pot if it looks gritty). Simmer for 15-20 minutes on med/low heat, until the potatoes are tender.

Remove the bay leaf and stir in the cream, clams, parsley, and black pepper. Allow it to simmer for a couple minutes, stirring often. In a small bowl, mix the potato starch with a little water and stir it into the chowder. Continue to simmer and stir for a few minutes until it thickens. If it’s not thick enough, give it time – it’ll get there.


Keep in mind that because this chowder is thickened with potato starch, it will lose its thickness if you allow it to cool (arrowroot starch, however, does a better job of staying thick after cooling). Be sure to serve it immediately, and keep it warm in case anyone wants a second helping!