Celebrate New England Clam Chowder Day with this month’s recipe, a sure-fire cure for the cold days of January.
Chopped clams, aromatic vegetables and creamy potatoes blended with low-fat milk and just a half cup of cream gives this chunky New England-style clam chowder plenty of rich body. Serve with oyster crackers and a tossed salad to make it a meal.
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons Canola Oil
- 4 slices Bacon, Chopped
- 1 medium Onion, Chopped
- 2 stalks Celery, Chopped
- 2 teaspoons Thyme, Fresh, Chopped (or 1 teaspoon Dried)
- 1 medium Red Potato, Diced
- 8 ounces (1 bottle) Clam Juice*
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 3 cups Milk, Low-Fat
- 1/2 cup Cream, Heavy
- 1/3 cup Flour, All-purpose
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 12 ounces Clam Strips, Fresh, Chopped (or three 6-ounce cans of Chopped Baby Clams, Rinsed)
- 2 Scallions, Thinly Sliced
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add bacon and cook for 4 to 6 minutes or until crispy. Transfer half of the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add onion, celery and thyme to the pan; cook about 2 minutes, stirring until ingredients begin to soften. Add potatoes, clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are just tender.
Whisk milk, cream, flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add mixture to the saucepan and return to a simmer, stirring over medium-high heat. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Add clams and cook, stirring occasionally, until the clams are just cooked through, about 3 minutes more. Discard bay leaf.
Ladle into bowls and top each serving with some of the reserved bacon and scallions.
Makes 6 generous servings of 1 cup each.
*Check sodium carefully when using clam juice because the amount of sodium can vary dramatically between brands. This recipe uses Bar Harbor clam juice with only 120 mg sodium per 2-ounce serving
