15 Italian Zucchini Recipes You'll Make All Summer
Five Star Boston Clam Chowder
Five Star Boston Clam Chowder
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Boston and New England clam chowder are one in the same,. The difference between all the clam chowders is the broth.
You see that Boston clam chowder has a thick creamy broth, New England chowder has a thinner almost clear(ish) broth and the Manhattan a red tomato based broth. Okay now that you know the difference between the most popular clam chowders, lets talk about this Boston clam chowder recipe. This recipe was given 5 stars when it was reviewed by a Bay area food critic. The recipe was given to me when we opened our first little hole in the wall, by a retired short -order cook. I can still see him standing next to the stove as I stood watching, it was a different kind of cooking for this Italian girl.
That Boston clam chowder soup the retired short order cook taught me to make, was and still is the most requested soup in all our years in the restaurant industry.
A few tips add butter to the pot to help the bacon along, when you add the flour, which thickens the soup, you can use gluten free but whichever you use, let in cook for a few minutes before adding the liquid ingredients. Another thing to remember, add the clams at the end to prevent them from being tough. Wash the fresh clams thoroughly, if you have clams that don’t open when you add them to the soup, you should not use them. If you want less calories replace the cream with low fat milk, and increase the flour by 1/3 cup.
Am not a big fan of cream soups, but this one is so good it’s one of my favorites and the memories attached to it feed my soul! ENJOY!!! If you like easy and delicious soups try my Italian Vegetarian Minestrone soup or a favorite creamy sausage tortellini soup.
Cooking is meant to be fun and creative, so have fun, experiment and let me know if you try the recipes and what you think, that’s my favorite part.
Five-Star Boston Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 3 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
- 2 (15-ounce) cans chopped clams, drained, reserving the clam juice
- 1 pound fresh clams, scrubbed clean
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup clam juice (reserved from the canned clams, supplemented with bottled clam juice if needed)
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Scrub and rinse the fresh clams under cold running water, discarding any that are cracked or remain open after being tapped.
- In a large soup pot or Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Add the butter to the pot. Once melted, stir in the onion, celery, garlic, and potatoes. Cook for 5–7 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften and the onion is translucent.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 1–2 minutes until the flour is fully incorporated.
- Gradually whisk in the reserved clam juice, additional clam juice, milk, and heavy cream until smooth.
- Stir in the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and the canned chopped clams. Bring the chowder to a gentle simmer.
- Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are fork-tender.
- Add the fresh clams, cover, and cook for 5–8 minutes, or until the shells open. Discard any clams that do not open.
- Stir the cooked bacon back into the chowder. Taste and season with salt and pepper as needed.
- Ladle into bowls and serve hot with oyster crackers, crusty bread, or a sprinkle of fresh parsley.
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