Oh how I love this soup! It’s light tasting yet heartily satisfying, easy to make for a crowd and not the normal thickened glop we get here on the West Coast.

Clam Chowder

This chowder is loaded with clams, fresh and canned, along with the usual suspects: potato, fennel, shallot, leek and pancetta. Topped with chopped tarragon, fried dill and freshly cracked black pepper, this classic is simply delicious.

I made this chowder one Christmas with my Step Dad Joe when I was a tweenager. It became a family tradition that continues on to this day and I’ve even used it at two restaurants. You can leave the fresh clams out if desired and only use canned or only use fresh clams (see my old recipe below) If you do want to give it a go with these sustainable bivalves, there are many neat varieties in all different shapes and sizes and they are all fun to experiment with!

Quahog varieties are the norm for chowder. From smallest to largest: countneck, littleneck, topneck, cherrystone, and chowder size. Chowder clams are very big at about 3-inches, and they can be on the tough side, so they are usually chopped. Here on the West coast we mostly get manila clams which work perfectly. See what your fish monger has in store!

Clam Chowder

It’s easy to make this chowder seasonal, just add fresh corn in the Summer and potatoes in the Fall and Winter – or both! Late season corn here in California is intensely sweet and yummy in this soup. The base is clam stock, which is light (and not fishy) with a big splash of cream. There is a little white wine too, to balance it all out.

For comparison, check out my old version of this soup that I created for Citizen Cake! It’s similar but I used fresh clams only with large wedges of fennel: http://www.amyglaze.com/citizen-cake-clam-chowder/.

Hope this chowder makes you happy as a clam!

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Amy's Clam Chowder

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2-2 pounds little neck clams, washed in cold water to remove sand if any
  • 3 cups canned clams, premium grade, chopped is okay
  • 2 long stalks celery, diced
  • 2 medium leeks, cleaned, white and light green part only, diced
  • 1 large fennel bulb, diced
  • 2 large shallots, minced
  • 1 large clove garlic, thinly shaved
  • 5 medium yukon gold potatoes or similar fingerling variety, quartered
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • 3 Sprigs of Thyme
  • 2 tablespoons tarragon, brunoised
  • 1/2 bunch of dill, remove the long part of the stem but keep the fronds on
  • 1/2 cup (or more!) pancetta cubed
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 5 cups clam stock or sea juice of premium grade
  • 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  • Twist of freshly ground black pepper
  • Croutons
  • Canola for frying dill

For the Chowder Base:

In a large pot, set over medium heat, render the pancetta until most of the fat has melted into liquid. Drain and reserve all but 3 tablespoons of pancetta fat and add to in the: shallot, fennel, leek and celery. Sweat veggies until slightly translucent, about 4 minutes. Deglaze pan with white wine and reduce for a few minutes to burn off alcohol. Add clam stock and bring to a simmer. Add shaved garlic. Add chopped clams and allow to come back up to a simmer. Remove any foam that rises to the top. Taste and season with salt. Toss in a bay leaf and a few sprigs of thyme. This part of the recipe can be cooled, refrigerated and reheated adding the potatoes the following day if desired.

Add the potatoes to the simmering broth 15 minutes before serving. I prefer to add them last so they don't fall apart.

For the Fresh Clams:

In a medium pot with lid, add fresh clams and 1 cup of white wine or water so that there is about 2-inches of liquid. Cover pot with lid and bring to a boil. Steam for 3 minutes or until the clam shells open. Place clams in individual bowls. Taste cooking liquid, it should have a nice clam stock flavor. If desired, strain (if it is sandy) and add into the soup.

For the Fried Dill: heat reserved pancetta grease on medium-high heat if there is at least 1/4-inch rendered and toss in the sprigs of dill and stand back – it will splatter. The dill can also be fried in a deep fryer or canola oil. Remove dill after 30 seconds with a spatula and drain on paper towels. Season with salt. This can be made hours in advance.

Spoon soup over fresh clams with large chunks of potatoes all around. Sprinkle tarragon overtop and put a large frond of fried dill in the center. Dot with croutons just before serving and don't forget a big twist of freshly cracked black pepper over top!