Clam Chowder

I was hoping to find some excellent clam chowder recipes.  Would appreciate any secrets you may have.  For instance, some use bacon others do not.  Is it OK to use bacon in clam chowder?  I'm hoping to get a few good recipes, please.

carlton pierre


I was hoping to find some excellent clam chowder recipes.  Would appreciate any secrets you may have.  For instance, some use bacon others do not.  Is it OK to use bacon in clam chowder?  I'm hoping to get a few good recipes, please.

 
I still haven't found a "just right" Manhattan style clam chowder recipe! 

It's what tastes good to you that counts.  I often use bacon...or a garlicky Portuguese sausage called Linguica in mine.along with some minced onion

Try to emulate this place:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pike-place-chowder-seattle
 ... CC ... in Seattle ... without question the best I ever had anyplace, ever.  (I am not generally that effusive.)
I Googled around and didn't come up with a recipe directly attributed to them ... you might have more luck.

At my restaurants in Boston I never used bacon or salt pork.  Started off with butter and chopped onions.  When the onions were golden I added flour to make a roux.  Then added the clam broth and potatoes.  When the potatoes were done I put in the chopped clams and heavy cream.  Bring it all to a boil and it's done.  Serve it up!  I had to make 5 gallons every day, in addition to 5 gallons of soup du jour!

Sounds good to me, lleechef!...........and I'd add a small pat of soften butter to the serving bowl and sprinkle on a little paprika

If you follow lleechefs recipe you can't go wrong. This is the way it's made in most of the better restaurants, I also make it the Chefs way.

My secret.....red wine vinegar, 2 TB for a recipe that makes 8 servings using 1 quart half n' half cream.

lleechef


At my restaurants in Boston I never used bacon or salt pork.  Started off with butter and chopped onions.  When the onions were golden I added flour to make a roux.  Then added the clam broth and potatoes.  When the potatoes were done I put in the chopped clams and heavy cream.  Bring it all to a boil and it's done.  Serve it up!  I had to make 5 gallons every day, in addition to 5 gallons of soup du jour!

Did you add any seasonings like Old Bay, S&P or anything like that?

Might sound a little weird but I add a bit of cream cheese to mine along with heavy cream.

Foodbme

lleechef


At my restaurants in Boston I never used bacon or salt pork.  Started off with butter and chopped onions.  When the onions were golden I added flour to make a roux.  Then added the clam broth and potatoes.  When the potatoes were done I put in the chopped clams and heavy cream.  Bring it all to a boil and it's done.  Serve it up!  I had to make 5 gallons every day, in addition to 5 gallons of soup du jour!

Did you add any seasonings like Old Bay, S&P or anything like that?

Never Old Bay, but yes, salt to taste (the clam broth is sometimes salty) and white pepper.

lleechef

Foodbme

lleechef

At my restaurants in Boston I never used bacon or salt pork.  Started off with butter and chopped onions.  When the onions were golden I added flour to make a roux.  Then added the clam broth and potatoes.  When the potatoes were done I put in the chopped clams and heavy cream.  Bring it all to a boil and it's done.  Serve it up!  I had to make 5 gallons every day, in addition to 5 gallons of soup du jour!

Did you add any seasonings like Old Bay, S&P or anything like that?

Never Old Bay, but yes, salt to taste (the clam broth is sometimes salty) and white pepper.

THANX for the Reply.

Thanks LleeChef!! I was hoping you'd weigh in.  I'm wondering if you might recommend a cookbook with any/some of your recipes?
Is the addition of bacon considered taboo?

wheregreggeats.com


Try to emulate this place:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pike-place-chowder-seattle
... CC ... in Seattle ... without question the best I ever had anyplace, ever.  (I am not generally that effusive.)
I Googled around and didn't come up with a recipe directly attributed to them ... you might have more luck.

Man, you're right.  Those are excellent comments.  

This might work:
I ate out a couple of weeks ago, and part of the lunch special included a small cup of shrimp and corn chowder which was delicious.  I went through some of my cookbooks, and cobbled a couple, thought mine came out fine.  Some of the recipes called for rouxs at various stages (blonde, med-dark, etc) , but I opted not to make one.  
 
I think what really made this chowder was the stock I made from the shrimp shells, the broth part of the chowder was mostly stock, and a maybe a third from the half-and half (I purposely didn't want the broth heavy or too rich).
 
I started with sauteeing chopped celery, green onions, bell pepper, and fresh parsley in butter, then adding fresh corn cut off the cobb (which you could eliminate), and a couple of red potatoes (which you could add more) cut in small chunks, and of course swap out clams for the shrimp, and you've got it. 
Most of the recipe came from "Cooking Up a Storm shrimp and corn chowder", which I think someone has posted on their blog and you can google.     
  
 

I love shrimp & corn chowder.  Thanks for your recipe.  I'll usually add andouille sausage to mine, sometimes shrimp and sometimes chicken as well, depends on my mood.

First the disclaimer.............I grew up on Cape Cod, have eaten clams 25 ways from Sunday, and would probably have my passport revoked the next time I go over the Bourne Bridge for the following, but sometimes even I like it "quick and easy".
 
In a pinch...and still better than a lot of commercial outfits, I take a can of the store-bought brand (The Red/White Chunky kind, usually)  To it, I add a tuna-sized can of Chopped (not minced) clams drained, but saving the juice, a cple of pieces of cooked bacon, andouille sausage or my favorite, hard-to-get, Linguica.  I put about a 1/2 tsp of minced garlic, 2 tsp of minced onion and then heat.  I add back part of the clam juice to thin it a bit and give a little more flavor.about 1/2 of the drained juice.   Server it in a bowl with a pat of softened butter and sprinkle some GOOD paprika on top for color.
 
Once or twice I gave up my saltwater-in-the-veins badge completely and added some corn....and/or some shredded cheese to the bowl.  Nice change of pace, but usually I do not put them in.  Over on Chowhound, the purists are raging about a post asking if it is ok to add corn.  My feeling is.ok, it may not be "pure" New England Chowder, but if it tastes good.........and I'll bet more than one cook on Cape Cod  100-150 years ago played around a bit with ingredients.
 
As for Manhattan style........well, sorry, there's still enough of the salt crust on my soul to consider that Tomato Soup with some clams added.  Rhode Island (clear) chowder I do like., especially if a few sauteed carrots have been added.
 
I'll be on the Cape next week so if you folks hear of an earthquake or other "disturbance" in the area, you'll know my friends and family read this and figured out it was me.  If they do, I"ll report back on what is like to be "Keelhauled".

I add some fresh tarragon to my clam chowder.
 
If there is any left the next day I add a drop or two of Tabasco Sauce along with a pat of butter.

FriedClamFanatic

First the disclaimer.............I grew up on Cape Cod, have eaten clams 25 ways from Sunday, and would probably have my passport revoked the next time I go over the Bourne Bridge for the following, but sometimes even I like it "quick and easy".
In a pinch...and still better than a lot of commercial outfits, I take a can of the store-bought brand (The Red/White Chunky kind, usually)  To it, I add a tuna-sized can of Chopped (not minced) clams drained, but saving the juice, a cple of pieces of cooked bacon, andouille sausage or my favorite, hard-to-get, Linguica.  I put about a 1/2 tsp of minced garlic, 2 tsp of minced onion and then heat.  I add back part of the clam juice to thin it a bit and give a little more flavor.about 1/2 of the drained juice.   Server it in a bowl with a pat of softened butter and sprinkle some GOOD paprika on top for color.

A very well written post!
I bet your "In a pinch" recipe would be even better if you started with a better quaity can of chowder like Bookbinders:
http://www.bookbindersfoods.com/Prod_SoupsBisques.html

In my part of the country, it's just about impossible to find a "better quality can of chowder." So I gave up trying and just make my own from a recipe in an old, much used cookbook I have. My two sons love my chowder and that's good enough for me. No bacon, just butter but the red wine vinegar adds a little kick of something to it.

Thanks for everyone who weighed in.  I can hardly wait to make another batch of chowder.

FriedClamFanatic's ...'in a pinch' recipe is similar to what I  or my wife does.   ... We start with a can or two of progresso clam chowder as a base with potatoes. Then add more chopped can clams, butter & milk.    Some times we add small shrimp & maybe oysters when we want a 'seafood chowder'.   ... or, we add a little wine and heavy cream to make a bisgue.

edwmax


FriedClamFanatic's ...'in a pinch' recipe is similar to what I  or my wife does.   ... We start with a can or two of progresso clam chowder as a base with potatoes. Then add more chopped can clams, butter & milk.    Some times we add small shrimp & maybe oysters when we want a 'seafood chowder'.   ... or, we add a little wine and heavy cream to make a bisgue.

 
Believe it or not, this very simple recipe tastes pretty darned good with a little tweaking and it's super easy.
 
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/three-can-shrimp-chowder/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=three%20can%20chowder&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page
 
 

Actually, you're right!.Bookbinders and Snows makes a much better product!  But they are a bit harder to find and then you gotta adjust the other ingredients.......or just use 2 cans

While we are on Bookbinders...........let me put a plug in for their Lobster Bisque.  Not bad by itself if you add a little extra sherry, but as sauce base, it has GREAT potential.  With leftover Lobster (imagine that!), the next day or so with some sauteed onions, the Bisque, some more sherry...or better still, Marsala....a bit of pepper and garlic..and some cooked potatoes if you need to stretch it, it makes for a great Lobster Stew, or if ya wanna get fancy...........add some frozen peas and serve it in Pepperidge Farm Flaky Pastry Shells. 
 
I have also used it with additions as a coulis for some steaks that had folks guessing.and wanting more.
 
And....if you can save the balance..........a TBS or so with some cooked bacon,garlic and Sherry ( See a pattern?.TY Julia Child!) some paprika and maybe a bit of tarragon.....goes great over Asparagus.

For that matter... even cream of mushroom soup diluted with a stick of butter and sherry makes a great sauce. 

My favorite was Mo's Seafood chowder ; I found on the coast of Oregon while visiting there. A  thick rich white chowder with only a few clams and a trace hint of bacon. The  deep flavors of the seafood  broth in this chowder was memorable. It had a dot of butter on top and  a sprinkling of old bay seasoning served with a chunk of wide Ital type bread  and butter on the side. I couldn't eat enough of it. Luckily Mo's had several locations to satisfy my taste buds for the 3 days I was there. All good... Wow!                                                         Buddy