Creamy New England Clam Chowder Recipe
Prep Time:
10 minutes
Cook Time:
45 minutes
Servings:
4 Servings
Ingredients
  • 2 pounds frozen cooked clams in shells, defrosted
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 5 ounces bacon (about 7 strips), chopped into lardons (matchsticks)
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 1 stalk celery, diced
  • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 4 stalks fresh thyme
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup sherry
  • 2 ½ cups chicken stock (may not need the full amount)
  • 1 cup half and half
  • 2 medium-sized potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • salt, to taste
  • pepper, to taste
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped
Directions
  1. Place the defrosted clams into a colander over a bowl to strain and collect any clam juices. Set the liquid aside to use later. Remove the clams from their shells and set aside a few shells if wanted for decoration, discard the rest.
  2. In a large pan, melt the butter and add the bacon lardons to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes until the bacon is golden, then remove from the pan using a slotted spoon and set to one side.
  3. Add the diced onion, celery, and garlic to the pan, along with the bay leaf and the stalks of thyme. Cook for 10 minutes until the onion and celery is translucent and soft.
  4. Add the plain flour to the pan and mix it in to the onions and the celery. Allow this to cook for a minute. Combine any collected clam juice with the chicken stock to make up 2 ½ cups stock. Discard any remaining chicken stock, and then add the stock/clam juice mixture into the pan, along with the sherry. Stir everything and allow it to heat through. Then, stir in the half and half.
  5. Once the liquid is simmering, add the cubed potatoes to the pan and then add salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pan with a lid and allow it to simmer for 20 minutes.
  6. Using a sharp knife, check the potatoes to see that they are cooked through. If the knife easily sinks in to the potatoes, they are ready. Add the clams to the pan along with half of the cooked bacon pieces, and allow them to heat through for 4 minutes, then add any shells if you wish.
  7. Serve the clam chowder hot, with the remaining bacon strips and the chopped parsley sprinkled on top.