New England Clam Chowder
This "Boston-style" clam chowder is lightly creamy and extra flavorful with salt pork belly. It's chock-full of briny clams and tender potatoes, plus a touch of fresh dill.
Ingredients
- 4 ounces salt pork belly, ¼"-diced (or substitute ¼"-diced bacon or pancetta)
- 1½ cups diced yellow onion
- 3 large cloves garlic, minced
- 20 ounces peeled, diced Yukon Gold potatoes
- 1½ teaspoons Morton kosher salt, divided
- 3 cans (6½ ounces each) chopped clams, juice strained and reserved (See Notes below if using fresh chowder clams.)
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, plus more for serving
- oyster crackers, for serving
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or small pot over medium/medium-low heat, cook salt pork belly and onion. Stir regularly for 5-7 minutes, or until fat begins to render and the onions are soft and just beginning to brown. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Add potatoes and stir them into the salt pork and onion mixture. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the salt over the mixture and fry for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Stir in reserved clam juice, chicken broth, and bay leaf. Bring chowder just to a boil, then immediately turn heat down to medium-low and lightly simmer.
- When the potatoes are just tender, stir in chopped clams, cream, Worcestershire sauce, remaining ½ teaspoon salt, black pepper, and dill. Turn heat up to high - when chowder just returns to a boil remove pot from heat.
- Serve hot, with oyster crackers and additional dill.
Notes
How to use fresh chowder clams "quahogs" (per Stephen Gerike of the National Pork Board):
- Wash 2 dozen quahogs/chowder clams to remove any sand or grit. Place them in a large steamer pot with one quart of water under the steamer basket. Steam the clams over high heat until they have just opened. Remove the clams as they open and place them in a bowl, making sure to dump all of the liquid from the shell before removing them. Once all of the clams have opened, turn the heat off and strain the liquid from the bottom of the steamer into a clean bowl. You'll add this instead of the reserved canned clam juice.
- Remove the clams from their shells, leaving the adductor muscles attached to the shell. These are very tough in large clams and aren’t fun to chew. Discard the shells and strain the liquid remaining in the bowl, adding it to the liquid from the steamer. Coarsely chop the clam meat into ½” pieces and set them aside in a clean bowl. You'll use this instead of the canned clams.
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.