New England Clam Chowder - CI

By mariannefeldman

Cook's Illustrated

QUICK PANTRY CLAM CHOWDER

Published March 1, 1998.
Serves 6 (about 2 quarts).
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
For an uncomplicated clam chowder recipe that was not too thin and watery or too thick and floury, we settled on canned clams. We chose waxy red boiling potatoes over starchy ones, which tended to disintegrate in the chowder. We found that thickening with flour was the way to go; it also
helped to stabilize the chowder, which can easily separate and curdle without it. Cream turned out to be essential, but our clam chowder recipe needed only a minimal amount, which gave our chowder richness without overpowering the flavor of the clams. Finally, we chose bacon rather than salt pork, a traditional component of chowder, to enrich the flavor with a subtle smokiness.

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon (about 4 ounces), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 large Spanish onion , diced medium (about 2 cups)
• 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 (8-ounce) bottles clam juice
• 4 (6.5-ounce) cans minced clams
• 1 cup water
• 3 medium boiling potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), scrubbed and diced medium
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
• Salt and ground black pepper , or white pepper

Preparation

Step 1

Fry bacon in kettle over medium-low heat until fat renders and bacon crisps, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion to bacon; sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add flour; stir until lightly colored, about 1 minute. Gradually whisk in bottled clam juice, reserved clam juice from clams, and water. Add potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme; simmer until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add clams, cream, parsley, salt (if necessary) and ground pepper to taste; bring to simmer. Remove from heat and serve.