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Classic New England Clam Chowder
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3 from 1 vote

Classic New England Clam Chowder

Traditional New England-style clam chowder made with frozen clams, salt pork, potatoes, and onion.
Prep Time3 minutes
Cook Time26 minutes
Total Time29 minutes
Course: Appetizer, dinner, lunch, Main Course, Soup
Cuisine: American
Keyword: 30-minute meal, comfort food, creamy, one-pan meal, seafood
Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Salt pork or Pancetta, chopped
  • ½ Yellow onion
  • 3 Yukon gold potatoes
  • 2 Tbsp Flour
  • ½ cup Clam juice
  • 2 cups Half and half
  • 2 tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • ⅓ cup Frozen clam meat fully cooked
  • ½ tsp Salt
  • ½ tsp Pepper

Instructions

  • Small dice salt pork, potatoes, and onion into ¼-inch cubes. In a preheated sauce pan or pot, cook the salt pork over medium heat for 7 minutes, until brown and crispy.
  • To the pot, add potatoes and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add 2 Tbsp flour and stir to coat the ingredients in the pot. Add clam juice, half-and-half, dried thyme, and bay leaf. Cook for 12 minutes while stirring occasionally.
  • Thaw the frozen fully-cooked clams by running them under cold water. Small dice. Add the clams, salt, and pepper to the chowder and cook for 2 minutes.

Notes

  • If you do not have clam juice, you may substitute it with chicken stock.
  • If using canned clams, substitute the clam juice with the juice from the can.
  • Be careful not to overcook the clams; overcooking will make the clams tough and rubbery.