Ingredients
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3 cups Water
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6 pounds medium hard-shell Clams
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2 slices Bacon
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2 Onion
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2 Celery
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1 teaspoon minced fresh Thyme
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⅓ cup all-purpose Flour
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3 (8-ounce) bottles Clam juice
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1½ pounds Yukon Gold Potatoes
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1 Bay Leaf
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1 cup Heavy Cream
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2 tablespoons minced fresh Parsley
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Salt
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Black Pepper
Directions
There’s no better ally for homemade clam chowder than a good Dutch oven: You can use it first to steam open the clams (which is far easier than shucking them, and steaming yields an ultraflavorful clam broth), then to build the soup after simply wiping out the pot. We decided on medium-size cherrystones since they offered good value and great briny taste. We reserved 2 cups of the steaming liquid to add to the chowder; balanced with 3 cups of bottled clam juice, this combination made a chowder that was packed with clam flavor without being too salty. We chose Yukon Gold potatoes, as their moderate levels of starch and moisture blended seamlessly with this creamy chowder. Thickening the chowder with flour helped stabilize it, as it can otherwise easily separate and curdle. Cream turned out to be essential, but our chowder needed only a minimal amount, which provided 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. Serve with oyster crackers.
Steps
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1
Done
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Bring water to boil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add clams, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir clams thoroughly and continue to cook, covered, until clams begin to open, 2 to 7 minutes. As clams open, transfer to large bowl and let cool slightly. Discard any unopened clams. |
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2
Done
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Measure out and reserve 2 cups clam steaming liquid, avoiding any gritty sediment that has settled on bottom of pot. Open clams with paring knife, holding clams over bowl to catch any juices. Using knife, sever muscle that attaches clam belly to shell and transfer meat to cutting board. Discard shells. Coarsely chop clams; set aside. |
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3
Done
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Wipe Dutch oven clean with paper towels. Add bacon and cook over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in onions and celery and cook until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. |
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4
Done
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Slowly whisk in bottled clam juice and reserved clam steaming liquid, scraping up any browned bits and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in potatoes and bay leaf, bring to simmer, and cook until potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. |
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5
Done
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Discard bay leaf. Stir in cream and return to brief simmer. Off heat, stir in clams and let sit until heated through, about 1 minute. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. |
