Quick New England Style Clam Chowdah

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Oh yes it is getting nippy here in the northeast. Ex-ops turn to caribbean. Tummies start thinking soups and stews...

This is a fast one and I've played with it a few times. I'm sure my friends up north will have other suggestions but this passes, at least in NYC.

New England Style Clam Chowdah

6 strips bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 unpeeled potatoes, diced (Yukon Golds work well)
1-1/4 carrots, diced
3 (6.5 ounce) cans chopped clams with juice
1 package Knorr (Lipton) dry leek soup mix
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup 1% milk

Directions
1.Place the bacon in a large pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until crisped and browned, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pot. Set the bacon aside. Stir the potatoes and carrots into the bacon fat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

2.Pour the juice from the clams into the pot, and add enough water to just cover the potatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the potatoes are just tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

3.Gently stir the leek soup mix into the potatoes until no lumps of soup remain. Stir in the clams, reserved bacon, half-and-half and milk. Cook and stir until the chowder returns to a simmer and thickens, about 10 minutes more.

[LisaH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close LisaH]

This sounds yummy!
BTW, I tried your cream asparagus soup last time you posted and it was fabulous!

[pkyorkbeach Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pkyorkbeach]

sounds easy and yummy

Thank you for sharing

[dwmantz Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close dwmantz]

Lawren

As a born n bred CT Yankee, and a fanatic about NE Clam Chowder, I've tried many recipes. Looks like an excellent and quicker version than many I've seen. Actually, take out the carrots and you're awfully close to the award winning recipe from Legal Seafoods, only much easier to make. I'll definitely try this ASAP! Thanks!!!

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

I am going to give this one a try soon, looks wonderful.

I am not sure how much liquid is in the clam cans, but it looks as this has only about 3 cups liquid. So serving for about 4? Maybe 6?

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

This sounds yummy!
BTW, I tried your cream asparagus soup last time you posted and it was fabulous!

Thanks Lisa. I really could live thru the winter on soups and stews and am always looking to create or find new ones.

Lawren

As a born n bred CT Yankee, and a fanatic about NE Clam Chowder, I've tried many recipes. Looks like an excellent and quicker version than many I've seen. Actually, take out the carrots and you're awfully close to the award winning recipe from Legal Seafoods, only much easier to make. I'll definitely try this ASAP! Thanks!!!

Dave that was what I was looking to recreate. They closed my nearest Legal.

I am going to give this one a try soon, looks wonderful.

I am not sure how much liquid is in the clam cans, but it looks as this has only about 3 cups liquid. So serving for about 4? Maybe 6?

Don, It should be illegal to sell that 6.5oz can as chopped cans in juice. The label should read juice with chopped clams. Above amounts will make about 6 nice size bowlfuls.

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

Excuse my ignorance, but what sort of clam do you eat? I only know of the giant clam, the sort of shellfish that could crush your foot if you stood on it.

The label should read juice with chopped clams.

Dare I ask ... what exactly is the juice?

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

Excuse my ignorance, but what sort of clam do you eat? I only know of the giant clam, the sort of shellfish that could crush your foot if you stood on it.

It never occurred to me that other parts of the world would not have edible clams! Here on the east coast of the US and Canada there are 3 main hardshell types: little neck, cherry stone and quahog.

The quahog is what most of us remember digging up at the beaches and it is that large clam that is generally used in chowders or for baked clams.

Dare I ask ... what exactly is the juice?

The liquid in the clams when they are shucked or opened.

[jlwquilter Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close jlwquilter]

Ok, I just made this and DH likes it ALOT! He said it does still need to meld a bit to better blend the flavors but he's very happy with it. I don't care for seafood myself so won't be having any.

I bought a 51 oz can of chopped clams at BJs and used just over half of the clams for this soup and the other half for clams casino (I make it up and then bake it in a ceramic dish). There was plenty of clam juice in the can so didn't have to use any water at all to cover the potatoes & carrots while they cooked. I use pre-cooked bacon so just put some veg oil in the botton of the pan to cook the potatoes and carrots up for the first 5 minutes. I used Knorr's leek soup mix instead of Liptons.

Easy recipe and apparently yummy! Thanks for sharing Lawren!

[basham Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close basham]

what sort of clam do you eat? I only know of the giant clam

Carol,

They are about the size of two Sydney rock oysters combined.

In shape about a little more than a quarter slice of a pie. Live a few inches under tidal sand or mud. Both top and bottom shell curved like a scallop.

Not to my taste raw but enjoyable as clam chowder, they have a chewy texture. I will probably try Lawren's recipe this winter sometime.

You could adapt it using mussels, not sure what would substitute for the clam juice however, there is no equivalent, so since liquid is needed maybe a weak chicken stock.

The wife says fish stock would be a better substitute but that chicken stock would be OK, but we all know what that means, use fish stock.

[kennyw Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close kennyw]

Lawren, this sounds wonderful! One question. Why half and half and milk? Why not just half and half? Did I miss something? Also, does the leek soup mix replace all onions? Can't wait to try this recipe.

Kenny

[shaggy Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close shaggy]

Sounds good . OUr local Sam's carries the Legal Seafood chowder . I ate at my first Legal Seafood & fell in love with the chowder & other things I tried.
I'm was surprised and happy to find the chowder at our local store. shaggy

[CarolF Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close CarolF]

Carol,

They are about the size of two Sydney rock oysters combined.

In shape about a little more than a quarter slice of a pie. Live a few inches under tidal sand or mud. Both top and bottom shell curved like a scallop.

Not to my taste raw but enjoyable as clam chowder, they have a chewy texture. I will probably try Lawren's recipe this winter sometime.

You could adapt it using mussels, not sure what would substitute for the clam juice however, there is no equivalent, so since liquid is needed maybe a weak chicken stock.

The wife says fish stock would be a better substitute but that chicken stock would be OK, but we all know what that means, use fish stock.

Thanks Mark, excellent description.
Incredibly there is a 'Clam and asparagus pasta' recipe in today's Sunday paper and the picture shows whole mussels.

My fish supplier sells a great fish stock, I think a dry white would be a good substitute too. Just love soups and this one sounds so easy and a bit different too.

[vintner Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close vintner]

This is good stuff, thanks for the recipe.

However, for my second batch of the chowdah, I will make a couple of minor changes.
I will peel the potatoes. It is a texture thing.
I am changing the milk to the half and half. I want it a little richer, may add a table spoon butter too.
I am adding pepper and will thicken the base a little.

I may take some of the bacon and chop it smaller. I want the clams to show more, and while some of the bacon at the larger cut size is good, I think the rest of it needs to be smaller so it is in the background.

[lawren2 Malibu Beach Barbie & A Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close lawren2]

I'm glad you are enjoying this one, or are planning to.

Why the milk? Probably because I ran out of half and half that day or wanted to save what was left for the mornings coffee.

The beauty of this one, as Don points out, is the ability to modify it and make it your own.