On a recent trip to Boston, I made the mistake of trying the clam chowder at a so-called “seafood” restaurant. The flavor was bland and the consistency milky. Maybe that’s what they like, but I prefer my chowder hearty. So upon my return, I decided to do my own version.
Traditional chowder recipes call for roux, the French version of a thickener made with butter and flour. I prefer to let the potatoes do the thickening for me. By cooking some of the potatoes a little longer than others, they begin to melt and act as the thickener.
Sure, I could use fresh clams, but why?
This is a chowder, which means all the ingredients are basically cooked to death — so I recommend the canned variety. But the essence of any good soup is the broth and this is where I cheat the most. Having worked in restaurant kitchens, I also know that this is what even the best chefs do — they buy the soup base instead of making their own. It’s just cheaper and more efficient. For clam chowder, I highly recommend Bear Creek Clam Base, available at Meijer (about $4).
And here’s my final touch: throw in a whole bulb of garlic. You hear me say this over and over again, “There’s no such thing as too much garlic.”
Ingredients:
- 4 tbs butter
- 1½ cup onion, chopped
- 1 leek, chopped
- 1 bulb garlic, crushed
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup carrots diced
- 3 potatoes diced
- 2 tbs clam base
- 2 cans chopped clams (about 13 oz total)
- 1 can whole baby clams (10 oz)
- 1½ cup corn (frozen)
- 3 tbs bacon, crumbled
- 1 cup milk
- salt and pepper to taste
- chopped parsley to garnish
To make the chowder:
- In a large soup pot, sautee the onions, leeks and garlic in butter.
- Add the water, carrots and 1/3 of the potatoes.
- Bring the chowder to a boil, then cook for 20 minutes over medium flame.
- Add the clam base, clams, corn, bacon and the rest of the potatoes.
- Bring to a boil, then simmer another 15 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Turn fire off, stir in the milk.
- Garnish with chopped parsley.