My Best Clam Chowder Recipes

CONTEST-WINNING NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. Saute celery and onion in the drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, water, clam juice, bouillon, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, 15-20 minutes., In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir until thickened, 1-2 minutes., Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil). Crumble the cooked bacon; sprinkle over each serving.

THE BEST CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Put the clams in a large, heavy Dutch oven, add about 4 cups water, then set over medium-high heat. Cover, and cook until clams have opened, approximately 10 to 15 minutes. (Clams that fail to open after 15 to 20 minutes should be discarded.) Strain clam broth through a sieve lined with cheesecloth or doubled-up paper towels, and set aside. Remove clams from shells, and set aside as well.
• Rinse out the pot, and return it to the stove. Add butter, and turn heat to medium-low. Add bacon or salt pork, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the pork has started to brown, approximately 5 to 7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove pork from fat, and set aside.
• Add the leeks to the fat, and cook, stirring frequently, until they are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in potatoes and wine, and continue cooking until wine has evaporated and the potatoes have just started to soften, approximately 5 minutes. Add enough clam broth to just cover the potatoes, approximately 3 cups, reserving the rest for another use. Add the thyme and the bay leaf.
• Partly cover the pot, and simmer gently until potatoes are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, chop the clams into bits about the size of the bacon dice.
• When potatoes are tender, add cream and stir in chopped clams and reserved bacon. Add black pepper to taste. Let come to a simmer, and remove from heat. (Do not let chowder come to a full boil.) Fish out the thyme and the bay leaf, and discard.
• The chowder should be allowed to sit for a while to cure. Reheat it to a bare simmer before serving, then garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with oyster crackers.

MY BEST CLAM CHOWDER RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Drain juice from clams into a large skillet over the onions, celery, potatoes and carrots. Add water to cover, and cook over medium heat until tender. Meanwhile, in a large, heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Whisk in cream and stir constantly until thick and smooth. Stir in vegetables and clam juice. Heat through, but do not boil. Stir in clams just before serving. If they cook too much they get tough. When clams are heated through, stir in vinegar, and season with salt and pepper.

MY BEST NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Cover salt pork with water and bring to boil over med-hi heat. Cook 5 minutes.
• With slotted spoon, transfer pork to dutch oven and cook over med-hi heat until crisp. Remove and discard pork and all but a little bit of the drippings.
• Add butter and when melted, add the onions and saute until golden.
• Stir in flour and cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Stir in the pepper and thyme. Add potatoes, 1/2 & 1/2 and chicken broth.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. (Be careful and watch that it doesn't cook above a simmer or very long!).
• Add clams, clam juice, parsley; simmer another 5 min.; stirring occasionally.
• Add lemon juice and pepper sauce and salt to taste. Serve with oyster crackers.

MY VERY BEST CLAM CHOWDER

Steps:

• Saute onions in a little oil until soft (7-8 minutes).
• Add the potatoes to the onions and continue to saute a few minutes more and set mixture aside.
• In a med-large size pot melt the butter over medium heat add the flour and mix well- but be sure not to burn.
• Add bottled clam juice and the juice from the canned clams (set the clams aside).
• Add the wine and clam base and mix well.
• Add the potato and onion mixture and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and bring it to a soft consistent boil.
• Boil for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft checking them frequently as to not over cook.
• Add heavy whipping cream and clams and reheat.
• Add salt& pepper to taste.