Classic American Clam Chowder
Bread Bowl
A rich and creamy New England-style clam chowder served in a hollowed-out artisan bread bowl, loaded with tender clams, potatoes, and savory bacon.
When the weather turns brisk and chilly, there is nothing quite as comforting as a piping hot bowl of creamy clam chowder. This classic recipe builds flavor by rendering smoky bacon, sautéing aromatic vegetables in the rendered fat, and combining a velvety homemade white sauce with savory clam broth. Served inside a crusty bread bowl, it turns a simple soup into a hearty, rustic feast.
Ingredients
- 1 kg fresh clams
- 2 potatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 stalks celery
- 100 g bacon
- 40 g butter
- 20 g all-purpose flour
- 300 ml heavy cream
- 300 ml milk
- 4 round bread bowls
- to taste salt
- to taste black pepper powder
- to taste fresh parsley
Instructions
- 1Boil the clams
Place the clams into a pot of boiling water and cook until they pop open. Once opened, remove them from the heat and set them aside to cool before handling.
Tip: Do not overcook the clams once they open, or they will become rubbery. - 2Slice vegetables and bacon
Carefully chop the onion, potato, and celery into small, uniform cubes on a wooden cutting board. Cut the bacon into small pieces to prepare them for cooking.
Tip: Cut vegetables into even sizes to ensure they cook at a consistent rate. - 3Remove cooked clam meat
Take the boiled clams and carefully remove the cooked meat from their shells, placing the extracted meat onto a clean white plate for later use.
Tip: Let the clams cool slightly before handling them to avoid burning your fingers. - 4Prepare the cream sauce
Melt butter in a pan, turn off the heat, mix in flour, then pour in heavy cream and milk. Cook on low heat while stirring continuously until the sauce thickens, then set aside.
Tip: Turning off the heat when adding flour helps prevent lumps from forming. - 5Stir-fry bacon
Heat oil in a medium-small pan and add the small bacon pieces. Stir-fry them until their color changes and they render their fat, then remove a portion and set aside.
Tip: Fry the bacon on medium heat to render the fat slowly without burning. - 6Sauté vegetables
Add the diced potatoes, celery, and onion into the pan with the bacon and stir-fry them evenly until they start to soften and absorb the flavors.
Tip: Sautéing the vegetables in the bacon fat enhances the overall savory depth of the chowder. - 7Add clam broth
Pour a portion of the reserved clam broth directly into the pan containing the sautéed diced vegetables and bacon. Season with a appropriate amount of salt and black pepper, then cover and let simmer.
Tip: Using the strained clam broth infuses the vegetable base with an authentic oceanic flavor. - 8Pour in dairy
Pour heavy cream and milk into the simmering vegetable and broth mixture, swirling gently to combine. This creates the rich and creamy base characteristic of chowder.
Tip: Maintain a low heat when adding dairy to prevent curdling. - 9Return clams to the pot
Add the pre-cooked clams back into the soup pot to make the broth taste even fresher and more flavorful. Stir well to integrate them with the rest of the ingredients.
Tip: Ensure the clams are shelled or cleaned properly according to preference before adding them back to the soup.
