September – always for me a time of new beginnings…. the first day of school, new autumn clothes, and here in the northeast, cooler weather starts to roll in. The first foggy morning hits as soon as the air is cooler than the ground. The first red and orange leaves appear on maples. And this means it’s time for some cooler weather foods, especially soup! And most especially some good creamy New England Clam Chowder.
White clam chowder is one of our favorite soups. And so easy to make with basic ingredients and 3 cans of chopped clams. I always keep a few cans on hand. It’s a good way to use up extra milk too. I usually make a batch for quick lunches. Just heat and eat.
Using a Dutch oven or a soup pot, saute some onion until softened and translucent. This soup pot is currently on sale – save $13! Be careful not to burn it. More than once I have fished unsightly black pieces of onion out of soup. Lately I’ve been using a diffuser on my gas stove – it really distributes the heat and tames it down. My stove never seems to have a low enough flame to just simmer, and the diffuser helps immensely.
I included using a bottle of clam juice, but I have made the chowder plenty of times without it. It does bump up the clam flavor…however the juice from the clam cans may be enough for your tastes. Oh, and use chopped clams, not minced. Tiny minces pieces will just disappear. And if you have some whole clams, even better! When ever we have steamers and some are left over, I shuck and freeze the whole clams until I make chowder. Cut up into pieces. I like some larger and some smaller. Nothing better than spooning up a piece of potato and nice clam chunk!
As for the potatoes – use whatever you like. Russets will tend to fall apart when simmered in soup, so I recommend a more waxy potato like red skinned or golden. I use regular whole milk – which is what we have in the house – and 2% or skim will make a very thin soup, even with the cream added. New England clam chowder needs to be thick and creamy. That’s why I mix in some cornstarch with the cream – it will thicken it without adding too much more cream.
What’s your chowder recipe? And is this one of your favorite soups as it is ours?
Fox Pines Homestead New England Clam Chowder
The thick white chowder packed with potato and clams is perfect for a cool fall day.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp bacon fat
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams undrained
- 1 8 oz bottle of clam juice
- 3-4 potatoes diced in ½” cubes
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp dried or fresh thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 5 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2-3 tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
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In a Dutch oven, melt the bacon fat over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent.
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Add the clams with the liquid and the clam juice, bay leaf, thyme, and potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until potatoes start to soften.
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Add the milk. When it gets hot, mix the cornstarch with the heavy cream, and stir in. Stir frequently until the chowder thickens. Adjust seasoning to taste.
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Serve with crackers or toasted bread.
