Clam Chowder Recipe with Fresh Clams

Name: Clam Chowder with Fresh Clams
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 slices bacon; 2 tablespoons butter; 2 celery stalks; 1 small onion; 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste; 2 large potatoes; 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 cup broth or clam juice; 1 1/2 cups milk; 1 1/2 pounds fresh clams; Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 40 mins

Servings: 4 servings

80 ratings

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This classic clam chowder is smooth and flavorful, chock full of fresh, delicious clams. It is neither gloppy nor gluey, but hearty and satisfying and a cinch to pull together.

You can play around with the proportions of milk and broth or water and feel free to use all milk if you like. Whole milk will yield a richer, more classic chowder.

2 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter
2 stalks celery
1 small onion
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
2 large potatoes
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup broth or clam juice
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 pounds fresh clams
Freshly ground black pepper, for garnish

Gather the ingredients.
Finely chop bacon. Heat a medium pot over medium-high heat, add butter, and once butter is melted, add bacon. Cook, stirring now and again until bacon renders its fat. Adjust heat so butter doesn't brown.
Meanwhile, finely chop celery and onion. Add to bacon and season with salt. Cook, stirring once in a while, until vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes.
Peel and chop potatoes. Once vegetables are soft, sprinkle with flour. Cook, stirring until flour smells a bit like pie crust—that will let you know that it is cooked and also help prevent chowder from having a raw flour flavor—about 2 minutes.
Add potatoes, broth, and milk. Bring to a simmer and cook until potatoes are very tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
Either shuck raw clams or heat a large pot over high heat. Add 1/4 to 1/2 cup water to pot. It should sizzle immediately. Add clams, cover, and cook until all clams are open—3 to 5 minutes.
Lift clams out of pot. Use a fork or small tongs to pull clams out of their shells. Discard shells. Strain clam cooking liquid through several layers of cheesecloth or a clean kitchen towel to make sure any grit is left behind. Add strained cooking liquid to chowder.
Once potatoes are tender, add clams and simmer until clams are cooked through, about 5 minutes for raw shucked clams and just 1 to 2 minutes for the steamed-opened clams.
Taste chowder and add more salt to taste. Serve hot, topped with pepper, if you like.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
562	Calories
14g	Fat
52g	Carbs
55g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories	562
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 14g	18%
Saturated Fat 6g	30%
Cholesterol 144mg	48%
Sodium 2505mg	109%
Total Carbohydrate 52g	19%
Dietary Fiber 4g	15%
Total Sugars 8g
Protein 55g
Vitamin C 54mg	268%
Calcium 308mg	24%
Iron 7mg	38%
Potassium 2180mg	46%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.