New England clam chowder gets its signature creamy consistency and white color from milk, heavy cream, or a combination of the two.
During my travels throughout the New England region, I was struck by how fiercely protective these regions are of their unique soup.
Fortunately, there’s a place in Maine where you can get your fix. Bar Harbor Foods sits on a sheltered cove in Downeast Maine, and its team produces gourmet seafood products “fresh from the docks” by hand.
Potatoes
Clam chowder is a classic American soup made with onions, potatoes, garlic, and celery. It is a delicious recipe that has been around since time immemorial. It is very simple to make and can be eaten anytime of the year.
To prepare this chowder recipe, you need to boil the mix of canned clam juice and potatoes. Once the potatoes get soft and are cooked thoroughly, add the rest of the ingredients and simmer them for another 10 minutes.
When the mixture is done, remove it from heat. You can also make this dish ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you need it.
Next, you need to fry the vegetables. You can use a heavy bottom pot with a lot of butter. First, you need to fry the onions and garlic until they are tender. Then, you need to fry the bay leaves as well.
After this, you need to add the flour into the mixture and stir it a bit. Then, you need to cook the chowder until it gets thick. You can also add the hot pepper sauce.
Lastly, you can add the chopped clams and bacon into the soup. Then, you can serve it with chowder crackers on top.
Bar Harbor clam chowder is made in small batches and contains no preservatives or MSG. It is also loaded with juicy clams that come from a fishery that is independently certified to MSC standards. It is a wonderful product that brings the taste of Maine to you!
Clams
The best clam chowder recipes include ingredients like onions, potatoes and garlic. This Bar Harbor clam chowder recipe is very easy to make and is perfect for a weeknight meal or as part of a holiday soup menu.
In this chowder, the clams are infused with bacon and butter. This makes the soup incredibly flavorful and creamy.
Clam chowder is a classic American dish and can be found in many restaurants. It is a simple and delicious soup that can be prepared in minutes.
To prepare this chowder, the first step is to cook the meat until tender. Next, you should fry the vegetables like onions and garlic. Then, you should add flour. This is called a roux, and it should be mixed well so that it does not burn or turn brown.
After that, you should add the clams and their juice to the mixture. You can also add a few tablespoons of butter to the mixture to enhance its flavor.
Once the clams are cooked, add the potatoes and a bit of water. Let the soup simmer for about 15 minutes.
You can serve the chowder with a bit of butter, crushed oyster crackers and chopped chives. This dish is very popular in summer and is sure to please your guests.
This is a great addition to any soup menu and can be enjoyed by seafood lovers and casual eaters alike. You can even use this chowder to make party hors d’oeuvres!
Onions
When it comes to making an authentic New England clam chowder, onions are one of the most important components. The right onion makes all the difference between a good chowder and a bad one.
White or yellow onions are best as they hold their shape and texture when cooked in a hot liquid. Red onions are too sweet, so avoid them if you’re trying to achieve the proper flavor for your chowder.
Potatoes are another key ingredient in a great chowder. You want to choose medium starch potatoes, such as Yukon gold or white. Russet potatoes are too starchy and will fall apart when cooked in a hot liquid.
To prepare your soup, start by boiling a mixture of potatoes and canned clam juice in a heavy saucepan. Lower the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender. Skim off any foam that develops on top and discard it.
After the potatoes and clam juice are cooked, you’ll need to thicken the mixture. You can use flour or cornstarch.
The roux should be light, so you don’t over-thicken the chowder. It’s also important not to add too much flour, as it can dull the clam broth’s flavor.
You should also be sure to use a good clam broth. I like to use Bar Harbor brand, which is made from New England quahogs and tastes quite good.
You can serve this creamy chowder with chopped chives and chowder crackers on the side. It’s a delicious dish that can be enjoyed on any day of the week, especially if you’re feeling under the weather.
Garlic
It’s hard to beat a good garlicky clam chowder. The key to a successful batch is to be sure the recipe uses high quality fresh garlic, as well as a generous portion of sea salt, and lots of white pepper.
Start with a heavy bottom pot and melt the butter, then cook the bacon (you can use any cured meat, but I prefer streaky). Then add the onion and celery and soften the mixture for 5 minutes, which is about as long as it takes to cook your sausage or chop up a burger. Next, stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute or so.
The garlic is only in the chowder for a short while so it’s a good idea to taste it frequently to make sure it’s not overcooked. The best part is that it’s not only easy to make, but it will leave you with a big bowl of flavorful clam chowder for lunch or dinner the following day.
I’ve tested this recipe with both canned and fresh clams, and it turns out to be a winner. I also love the fact that you can make a big batch of chowder at the same time as other meals, which is ideal when you have family coming over for a late lunch or early dinner. The best part of all is that you can even save the chowder and reheat it later on! I don’t know about you, but I find it hard to resist a bowl of clam chowder with some oyster crackers.
Herbs
Chowder is a tradition in Maine and when the snow starts to fall, families gather together over bowls of thick, creamy clam soup. The chowder recipe at Bar Harbor has been fine-tuned over generations and is made with simple, easy to understand ingredients and chunks of fresh seafood, the way any self-respecting chowder should be.
For a true New England clam chowder, you have to use the hard-shell quahogs that are native to the region. Steaming quahogs in water will both cook their meats and release their juices into the water, creating clam broth that is the essential base for an authentic New England clam chowder.
However, you can also make an authentic chowder with canned clams, but you’ll lose a lot of the flavor that comes from using whole quahogs. The muscle of the clam is chopped or minced when it’s canned, which can make them tougher and less tasty when heated in a chowder.
You can also buy bottled clam juice, but I find that most of these lack the sharp, clean flavor that comes from using fresh quahogs in your chowder. If you can find a clam juice that’s made from New England quahogs, it’s worth a try.
Once the chowder has simmered for a while, you can add a little flour to the mixture to thicken it. If you want to use a roux, stir in the flour gradually until the mixture is smooth. If you prefer to thicken with a slurry, whisk a little of the liquid with flour or cornstarch and stir into the chowder. You can also add a little more milk or cream to the mixture, depending on your preference.