Best Clam Chowder Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What makes clam chowder taste better? ›

Sauté onions, celery, and potatoes in butter before adding to the soup. Add thyme and bay leaves for added aroma and flavor. Simmer the soup for a longer time to allow the flavors to meld together. Finish with a splash of sherry or white wine for added complexity.

New England Clam Chowder is the most famous and most popular clam chowder. It's been around for centuries, so it's possible its longevity has contributed to its popularity. It's also thick and velvety, making it a comforting palate-pleaser, particularly on cold days.

This clam chowder recipe should produce perfectly rich soup. If you'd like your chowder a little thicker, though, you can thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. Simply stir cornstarch into a small amount of cold water (or another liquid, such as wine or stock), then stir the mixture into the simmering chowder.

Sometimes it is because the potatoes have soaked up the salt or the base is just too thick, and the chowder is weak in flavor and has a heavy texture. If you find your clam chowder leaning into no-flavor-land, try adding a bit of miso paste to the pot for a rich umami kick.

Sometimes, this can occur when the chowder sits in the fridge, as the texture and taste become watered-down, as mentioned by FoodsGuy. Or, when you're adding salt to the soup while the potatoes are cooking, the potatoes may absorb all that saltiness and leave the broth wanting more, explains DeadSpin.

You can also add a little sweet smoked paprika, zest with parsley or cilantro, and toss in some oregano. Packed with nutrients, all these spices turn up the heat on both taste and health.

Classic examples can be found at Boston's Union Oyster House – the oldest continually operating restaurant in the U.S. – as well as the Atlantic Fish Company and Legal Sea Foods, which launched an empire on the back of its thick and savory flagship soup.

What pairs well with clam chowder? ›

You can go for oyster crackers, warm sourdough bread, salad, french fries… the list goes on. This tasty soup is packed with clam lumps and tender potatoes. It is not only filling and indulgent – but quite easy to make.

Fresh clams are a thing of beauty, but canned clams should have a place in your pantry. They are healthy, affordable and can take that plain pasta from drab to fab.

Yes. Eating undercooked shellfish can cause a bacterial infection called vibriosis. Marine biotoxins, which are not destroyed by cooking, can cause Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning and Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning. Some people can have an allergic reaction to shellfish.

I've tried both baby clams and chopped clams, and while both were good, the chopped clams were the best. Bacon: Not only do you get the bacon pieces throughout the chowder, but your veggies are cooked in the bacon grease, bringing in lots more flavor. Celery, Onions & Garlic: These are all for flavor.

Because they will be chopped into small pieces, you can use the large chowder clams, cherrystones, top necks, middle necks or little neck clams. If you can't get fresh clams, you can use canned chopped clams instead. You'll need about 6 lbs of whole fresh clams to get 1 ½ cups of meat or three 6.5-ounce cans.

Sauteed alliums

The shortcut to making anything taste good is sizzling some onions and garlic in oil, and canned clam chowder is no exception. Sauteed alliums (onions, garlic, and other related vegetables) will add complexity, savoriness, and sweetness to your canned soup, lending it just a touch of homemade flavor.

Bacon, clams, and heavy cream make this soup rich, hearty, and satisfying. In addition to those ingredients, you'll also find onions, celery, and potatoes in this soup. New England chowder is almost always topped with oyster crackers, small pillowy crackers that act as the perfect vehicle for flavor.

Chowder is a hearty meal made with milk or cream and usually with a Salt pork,bacon,or other base for flavor along with potatoes. Corn is a popular ingredient to add too. You can add almost any protein you can think of but most tend to be made with Seafood.

Some common seasonings to enhance the flavor of canned clam chowder include garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, thyme, and a touch of hot sauce for added depth and heat.