11 Tips You Need When Cooking New England Clam Chowder

If there's a quintessential dish from the Northeast, it's got to be clam chowder. We're not talking about other variations, such as tomato-based Manhattan-style, but just creamy, delicious New England clam chowder. With a tasty base of onions, celery, and carrots, plus plenty of chunky potatoes and clams, this favorite is hearty enough to work as a substantial lunch or dinner. Served with crackers or crusty bread, it also makes the perfect first course for a larger meal, setting the stage for other New England classic flavors.

Incorporating both seafood, heavy cream, and plenty of vegetables, chowder can be a bit intimidating if you've never made it before. While it doesn't require any fancy tools or techniques, you'll still need to know how to prepare the chowder base, when to add the clams, and how to get the creamy, velvety consistency that you want from a good chowder. For those worried about replicating their favorite restaurant versions at home, never fear. We talked to Anne Quatrano, owner at W.H. Stiles Fish Camp, about the best tips and tricks to getting delicious chowder. Brock Anderson, executive chef at Sea Crest Beach Resort, also shared his secret to the perfect recipe that he uses at home. Both gave us the inside scoop from finding the right kind of clams to building the chowder one ingredient at a time.

A great New England clam chowder starts with strong flavors that can act as a foundation for the rest of the ingredients. Sauté onions to release the aromatic taste before you even begin thinking about your seafood. Using butter adds even more richness from the very beginning, a key component of a great chowder. Anne Quatrano starts with "plenty of well sweated onions in butter to make the roux." A roux, which combines fat and flour, helps thicken the chowder from the beginning as well.

Brock Anderson adds in extra saltiness at this step by using bacon fat. He recommends starting by "rendering the fat out of the bacon at the beginning, using that oil for sautéing the vegetables to soften/develop flavors." You can try both methods to see which you prefer and even switch things up to craft different versions. 

Once they begin to sweat it means that they are releasing the flavor that will enhance your chowder. This also means that the onions are soft and mild, which is important to help them meld with the rest of the ingredients as the chowder comes together. You can use any kind of onions, but yellow onions give a slightly sweeter flavor, which works well with the saltiness from other ingredients.

Salt and pepper bring out the flavor of the ingredients in New England clam chowder, but herbs like bay leaves and thyme add extra flavor. Fresh thyme has small leaves, which release a woody taste when minced. It has a slight element of mint to both the flavor and the scent, but is more earthy than true mint herbs. To use it in clam chowder, mince it finely and add it while the aromatics soften. Bay leaves are generally put into the chowder whole and removed after it cooks. This lets them add flavor that isn't too bitter and keeps the texture of the base smooth. Fresh parsley can also be added as a garnish over top of the chowder to incorporate some brighter flavors. 

You can use fresh or dried varieties. Expect the dried herbs to impart a stronger taste than their fresh counterparts, so you may need to use a little bit less. You can start with a small amount and adjust the spices as the chowder cooks. Don't forget the salt and pepper as well — this helps bring out the natural flavors of the other ingredients and adds depth the dish.

The best chowder is super creamy, so make sure to add dairy as you prepare it, focusing on a balance of rich flavor and liquid content. Anne Quatrano recommends using heavy cream and milk in the preparation. Cow's milk is a traditional choice, but you can also use other varieties, such as goat's milk. In fact, goat's milk is a great alternative for those with a cow's milk allergy, although it will impart a slightly different flavor. Nut milk can also work with almond milk working as the closest replica of cow's milk in this dish. You may need to thicken the chowder with a roux or by incorporating extra starches, like mashed potatoes. 

Traditional clam chowder uses heavy cream as well as milk, which is the main ingredient that gives it such a rich flavor and smooth texture. Heavy cream has a much higher fat content than milk, at least 36%. This is what gives chowder its thick texture and super decadent flavor, but you'll need to incorporate both to get the best results. Add more milk than cream to start, as a little bit of cream goes a long way to create this rich dish. 

Similar to a bisque, chowder needs dairy to get the right texture and taste. But chowder tends to be a bit thicker compared to bisque, due to the use of chunkier ingredients. Both have milk and heavy cream as part of their essential ingredients.

As the namesake ingredient in New England clam chowder, it's pretty important that you use good clams. If you can get fresh clams, they are a fantastic choice and will give great briny flavor. Anne Quatrano prefers fresh littleneck clams, which she steams. These are ideal because they are the smallest and tenderest of the hard shell clams. You can also use the broth in the chowder, so don't throw it away after the clams are finished steaming.

Littleneck clams are a type of hard shell chowder clams, which tend to be pretty large. You may need to chop them up into smaller bite sized pieces for your chowder. You can also go with a larger size, such as Quahogs or topnecks, if those are more available. No matter what size you choose, make sure that the pieces are bite-sized so that you can easily eat your finished chowder. You can also garnish the dish with a few opened clamshells to give it some extra style when serving.

If you're landlocked, canned clams will also work. Look for high-quality clams that are clear about where they source their seafood. This helps you get the freshest and most delicious clams available.

Overcooked clams become too tough and chewy, making them less appetizing for good chowder. To prevent this, steam the clams until they are just a tiny bit undercooked. This trick is the key to getting deliciously tender and sweet clams for your chowder. Like Anne Quatrano, Brock Anderson also steams his clams when he's making chowder at home, but he's quick to take them off the heat once they are ready. He recommends this method because "I can cook them a little under done so when they are added (towards the end) to the chowder they do not become rubbery."

Steaming clams only takes a few minutes, typically between 5 and 10, depending on their size. Watch for the shells to begin to open. Once they are opened, remove the clams from the steamer. Set them aside until the rest of your dish is done. When you add them into the hot chowder at the end, they will continue to cook slightly.

If you steam fresh clams, reserve some of the broth to use in the chowder. While you need to clean the clams well before steaming by soaking and scrubbing them, it's also best to sift the resulting broth to remove any small bits of shell or sand before using it in your chowder. The last thing that you want is to ruin a perfectly good chowder with too much grit in each bite. It's almost impossible to sift these bits out once they're added to the dish, so make sure to do it before pouring in the broth. 

Anne Quatrano adds extra clam broth to the chowder as well to give it even more depth. You can find clam juice in the grocery store aisle and add it to your chowder. Start with a small amount, taste testing often to adjust with seasonings, spices, and additional broth. 

If you're using canned clams, save the juice to add back in — it really amps up the flavor. Some chefs prefer canned clams because they are already cleaned and often chopped and ready to add right to the chowder. You can also use whole clams, although you may need to cut them into smaller pieces yourself before putting them in the dish. Either way, reserving the liquid that the clams come in is key to adding extra flavor.

One of the most beloved parts of chowder is the chunky, thick texture. You can get this by incorporating ingredients like potatoes for their rustic feel. While you want to leave some of the potatoes in your chowder chunky, it's also helpful to pull some out to mash. When you add them back in, the result will be a deliciously thick chowder that you're sure to love.

"A blonde roux or even mashed potatoes mixed in can help thicken it and add a velvet like texture," said Brock Anderson. Start by getting all of the potatoes tender and see if the soup needs to thicken. You can always scoop some of the soft potatoes out, mash them, and add them back in. You can also use an immersion blender, although you should be careful not to go overboard. A good chowder still has chunks of potatoes to give it that signature hearty texture.

Anne Quatrano likes to use new potatoes, which are small and sweet. You can also use other kinds of potatoes, although they will give a starchier texture to the chowder. New potatoes also give a much creamier consistency, so you may be able to use less heavy cream or milk.

One of the traditional New England clam chowder ingredients is bacon, which adds a deliciously salty and savory taste, plus a hint of varying texture depending on how it is cooked.  For a lot of crunch, make sure your bacon is extra crispy. If you prefer a more subtle approach, keep your bacon on the chewier side by cooking it lower or for less time. Add this extra flavor from small pieces of bacon, either in the chowder or as a garnish on top. The taste and texture both pair well with the creamy dish. 

There are other variations of pork that can be substituted to bring in other flavors as well. "Here at the Sea Crest Beach Resort we switch bacon out for a mild chorizo," says Brock Anderson. "We still get that pork flavor but it becomes a little more complex with the chorizo spices that meld into the soup."

You can also use bacon fat to sauté your vegetables in the early steps to incorporate this taste into the chowder base. This makes chowder preparation even easier as well, because you can start by frying up your bacon in a Dutch oven and use the same thing to prepare the chowder, cutting down on dishes and clean up.

Some days you might be craving traditional New England clam chowder, but don't be afraid to change things up from time to time. Brock Anderson is no stranger to incorporating new ingredients and flavors into the clam chowder at the Sea Crest Beach Resort. You can try the same techniques in your own kitchen, using other types of vegetables and broths that pair well with clams. You can even supplement with additional types of seafood, including mussels and shrimp, to create a seafood chowder.

Beer adds a "malty flavor" to the broth, which offers a different option. If adding liquids, you might need to incorporate more roux or potatoes to keep the chowder thick and creamy. Don't be afraid to adjust and taste test as you go until you find just the right balance.

You can also add different vegetables. Corn is a popular option because the sweet taste works well with creamy chowders. Some chefs prepare corn chowder on its own sans clams, so melding the two variations on this creamy soup is a match made in heaven.

Some substitutions can be done to change the nutritional content in the dish. "On occasion, I have been asked to produce a low carb version so I opt for turnips instead of the potatoes," says Anderson. Turnips are similarly starchy when cooked but don't have as many carbs as potatoes.

If you've made clam chowder in the past and were unimpressed, there's a good chance that rubbery clams were to blame. Fortunately, this is an easy fix that doesn't require any extra monitoring, stirring, or adjustments of ingredients. All you need to do is wait until the entire chowder is ready to add your clams.

Even though New England clam chowder is named for the shellfish in the mix, the clams actually have to wait until the end to make their way into the dish. Steamed or canned clams are the last addition to go into the chowder. Brock Anderson recommends letting the chowder simmer for around 20 minutes once the cream and potatoes have been added.

Make sure that the clams are bite-sized before adding them, either chopping them yourself or buying canned chopped clams. it's best to do this while the chowder simmers and the potatoes cook. If you need to thicken the soup with a roux or by mashing potatoes, do this before you are ready to mix the clams in.

"Adding the clams in the last minutes of cooking, it's a sure fire way to impress dinner guest during the winter months or if you are on Cape Cod, year round," says Anderson. If you put the clams in too early, they will continue to cook in the broth. You'll get rubbery morsels that are hard to chew.

Because it is so creamy, New England clam chowder benefits from extra texture. You can rely on garnishes and ingredients like crispy bacon, but something to soak up the deliciousness is often best.

"We at W.H. Stiles Fish Camp are traditionalists," says Anne Quatrano. "Of course, served with oyster crackers." Put them over the top to add some crunchy texture to your dish, but wait until the entire dish is done cooking and assembled. You can put them on the side of your plate, waiting until you're about to scoop your first spoonful to sprinkle them on top. Adding them too early will just result in soggy oyster crackers that sink to the bottom of your bowl.

Oyster crackers are small, round crackers with scalloped edges that are often used with seafood based stews and soups, including New England clam chowder. They don't have a distinctly strong flavor on their own, but are perfect to add something extra while taking on the taste of chowder as they soak in it. 

Most restaurants serve small packets of oyster crackers alongside clam chowder. If you're preparing it at home, you can get a larger bag and use as many of these adorable little crackers as you want. Attending to little details like this will elevate your experience to rival even the best seafood restaurants in New England.