Rhode Island Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 12 to 16 ounces canned clams, chopped or whole
- 4-ounces bacon
- 2 small yellow onions, cut into ¼-inch dices
- 2 large ribs celery, cut into ¼-inch dices
- ½ cup white dry wine
- 16-ounces red potatoes, cut into ¼-inch dices
- 1 quart clam stock or clam juice; fish or seafood stock is a good substitute
- Few sprigs thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- Oyster crackers, optional
Instructions
- Drain the canned clams, pouring the liquid into a 4-cup glass measuring cup.
- Add enough clam stock or juice, or alternative, to yield 4 cups; set aside.
- At this point, if you want to chop any of the clams, do that and set aside
- Cut the bacon crosswise into 1/4-inch strips.
- Place in a heavy pot or Dutch oven, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, and cook until done; 5 to 7 minutes.
- Scoop out the bacon and transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
- You should have about 1-1/2 tablespoons of bacon grease left in the pot; if not, add a bit of oil or fat to make that amount.
- Set the pot back on the stove, over medium heat, and add the onion and celery.
- Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes, or until soft and turning translucent.
- Pour in the wine and let it bubble up for 1 minute.
- Add the potatoes, clam broth, thyme and bay leaf.
- Bring back to a boil; reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- Stir the reserved clams and bacon into the pot and add a good amount of black pepper to taste.
- Generally, clam chowder does not need extra salt, especially if using canned clams, as the bacon adds some too; be sure to taste before automatically adding salt.
- Turn off heat and let sit for 30 minutes; remove the thyme stems and bay leaf.
- Warm slightly before serving, if desired.
- Stir in the parsley just before serving, with oyster crackers on the side.
Notes
If you use fresh clams, about 48 small hard-shells will be perfect for this recipe. Place the clams in a large pot and cover with 1-1/2 quarts of water. Set pot over medium-heat and bring to a boil, then cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until all the clams have opened: about 12 minutes; discard any clams that don’t open. Set a strainer over a bowl and line it with cheesecloth or a damp coffee filter; pour the cooking liquid through the strainer. Remove the clams from their shells. Use this liquid where the recipe calls for clam broth.
You can also use a mixture of fresh and canned clams. Just use enough canned clams to make up for what you don’t have in fresh.