New England Clam Chowder Recipe

Steam clams

Place scrubbed fresh clams in a large pot with 2 cups water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Steam until clams open, about 6–8 minutes. Discard any clams that do not open. Reserve clams and strain the cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve lined with a paper towel or cheesecloth to remove grit; you should have about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of clam broth. Set both clams and strained broth aside.

Remove clam meat

When cool enough to handle, remove clam meat from shells. Chop half the clams coarsely and leave the rest whole for texture. Measure out 1 cup of chopped + whole clams to use in the chowder; any extras can be saved.

If using bottled clam juice instead of fresh clams, combine 2 cups bottled clam juice with 2 cups water and skip the steaming step. Reserve 1 cup of chopped clams (from a 8–10 oz can) for later.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, melt 4 tbsp unsalted butter over medium heat until foaming.

Add the diced onion and celery and sweat gently, stirring occasionally, until translucent and softened but not browned, about 6–8 minutes.

Stir in the cubed potatoes and cook for 2 minutes with the vegetables to coat them in butter.

Make a light roux

Sprinkle 1 1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour over the vegetables and potatoes and stir to combine. Cook the flour for 1–2 minutes to remove the raw flour taste, stirring constantly but not allowing it to brown.

Slowly pour the reserved strained clam broth and the additional 2 cups water (or combined clam juice/water) into the pot, stirring to dissolve the roux and prevent lumps.

Add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a low simmer. Cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 12–15 minutes.

Once potatoes are tender, remove and discard thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Stir in 2 cups whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream. Heat gently—do not boil—over low heat until the chowder is hot and slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and season with 1 tsp sea salt and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, adjusting to your preference.

Add the reserved chopped and whole clams to the pot and warm through for 2–3 minutes until just heated (overcooking clams makes them rubbery).

If you prefer a thicker chowder, remove about 1 cup of potato/vegetable solids, mash or purée them, then stir back into the pot to thicken. For a smoother texture, use an immersion blender and pulse briefly—do not purée completely; leave some chunks.

Turn off the heat and stir in up to 1 tsp lemon juice if using, and taste again for seasoning. Add more salt/pepper as needed.

Ladle chowder into bowls and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and optional crumbled bacon. Serve hot with oyster crackers or crusty bread.