Clam Chowder / Stew

  • Prep Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 50 mins
  • Servings: 10-12

    • About This Recipe

    “Best ever, lots of clams!!lots of flavor! Recipe can be cut in half.If you would like to make this chowder really special, I have made it adding clams in the shell and mussels in the shell, with pealed prawns added at the very end, did this for Christmas Eve, served with cranberry scones, Delicious!”

    Ingredients

  • 3 -4slicesbacon, cooked crisp and broken
  • 2largeyellow onions, finely chopped
  • 1/2 cupchicken broth
  • 2mediumpotatoes, cubed
  • 1teaspoonsalt
  • 1/8 teaspooncayenne pepper
  • 3tablespoonsbutter
  • 3tablespoonsflour
  • 3cups2% low-fat milk
  • 2cupshalf-and-half cream
  • 4 (10ounce) cans baby clams, undrained
  • 1teaspoonWorcestershire sauce(optional)
  • 2 -3tablespoonschopped parsley
  • paprika(optional)

    • Directions

  • Fry bacon in a large Dutch oven until crisp, remove with slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add onion to pot, saute until softened, then add potatoes and chicken stock.
  • Season with salt and cayenne, cover and cook for 15 minutes.
  • In a second large saucepan, melt butter, whisk in flour, whisking to make a roux.
  • Cook for 1 minute, then add cream and milk while whisking.
  • Cook over low heat until thickened.
  • Pour into onion and potato mixture, add clams, 2 cans undrained, add clams only, from the other cans reserving the juice.
  • Add Worcestershire and bacon.
  • Add the other 2 cans of reserved juice a bit at a time to reach desired consistency and only if you want the soup less thick.
  • Stir and gently cook over moderate heat until heated through.
  • Transfer to soup tureen and garnish with parsley and paprika if using.

    • Reviews

  • “This is soooo good Dorothy. Just the way my grandmother used to make. The chowder turned out very rich and creamy. I just used a little extra clam juice to get the right consistency as we like ours a little thick. This was very heartwarming and a comfort food for me. Thanks”

  • “This chowder is absolutely perfect!! I made it in my crockpot for dinner Halloween night and it makes for a very comforting bowl of chowder. The recipe was very simple but the flavors where fantastic. Serviced with a side salad & crust bread. Thanks Dorothy!”

  • “This was very good and very easy – full of clams and the chicken stock makes the flavor richer. Thanks!”

  • “WOW, This recipe is easy, fast and tastes great.What more could anyone want?Thank you!!”

  • “Wonderful chowder!I made a mistake when making it, but it turned out dynamite!I was going to cut the recipe in 1/2, cuz it was just the two of us.BUT, I added the whole 14 oz. can of chicken broth, instead of 1/4 cup…OOPS!But, when whisking the 1/2 & 1/2 and milk, I just added more flour to thicken the roux.I was afraid that it might be flourey (sp?) tasting, but it was great.I also added 3 stalks of chopped celery when sauteing (sp?)the onions.Instead of cayenne pepper, I used crushed red pepper.And I added more bacon to it (should have used 2 slices, but I used about 8 slices).This came out fantastic!Will definitely make again.Good recipe, Derf!”

  • “This is the best clam chowder I’ve ever had! Thanks for a great recipe.”

  • “first cold night of the year, the chowder was excellent.Gave it four stars for taste, the other star because how easy it was to make thanks”

  • “This was excellent! I used left over baked potatoes for the potatoes.”

  • “This was good but I did make some changes so that I knew we would like this. I used a cup of chicken broth and two cups of half and half. I was afraid the chowder would have been too thin if I had added the milk also, I used instant potato flakes instead of flour to thicken the soup. I used four cans of clams but only used the juice of one. My clams were also minced. I used regular pepper instead of cayenne and used 3/4 teaspoon. I didn’t add the parsley, worcestershire or paprika. Next time I would cut the salt back as I thought it was a bit salty. We enjoyed this the next day also.”

  • “Absolutely amazing!! This has become a weekly staple in our house.Thanks for the awesome recipe.”

  • “Scrumptious!Both the kiddies wanted seconds…then thirds!My husband is the clam chowder buff in the houseand said it was great.I had bacon drippings but no bacon and it worked well.Instead of plain salt I used celery salt, and I might add some chopped celery in with the onions next time too.Oh, and instead of half and half, I subbed milk/sour cream.Definitely a keeper!”

  • “I found this chowder to be somewhat bland.My company agreed and suggested that I add a tiny pinch of thyme and that definitely enhanced the flavor.I purchased two cans of baby clams, chopped clams and used half-and-half.This was okay but I think I might use it as a base and search for other recipes to incorporate into this one.”

  • “I fed my husband, four teenage boys and myself and everyone seemed to love it. Changes that I made: I only had one can of clams, I used 4 potatoes rather than two, I used about 1 1/2 cups of broth because I knew I needed to feed many, and finally, I chopped 7 green onions/chives because that’s all I had.I did not use the parsley or the paprika.It was a success and all agree I need to add this to my list of regular dinners.I served it with french bread slathered with butter and parmesan and broiled until toasty. Yum! Thanks for sharing.”

  • “This was excellent, I ddin’t want to use canned soup.We both said yum at the end of the meal.”

  • “What a flavorful and perfect consistency for clam chowder.This came together so easy and had a great flavor.The cayenne pepper adds a zing at the end.”

  • “Wonderful chowder. This was my first attempt at clam chowder. Creamy, smokey and great. The bacon was a great addition. I did not have Half and Half so I subbed whipping cream. I can’t wait to make again. Thanks for posting.1-18-09 Made the chowder for the second time. I messed up and only bought 18oz of clams. I added about 6oz of canned smoked salmon. It turned out wonderful”

  • “I love clam chowder and this recipe is no exception! This was the first time I’ve ever made chowder and this one is a keeper! Jut perfect especially with a little extra cayenne. I also Used non-fat milk but just for my own satisfaction. Tasted absolutely wonderful and is now our Christmas Eve staple! Thanks Derf!”

  • “Derf – Thanks for a great recipe.We’ve made this chowder dozens of times, and someone always asks for the recipe!I generally add more bacon and clams, but otherwise, it is great for the Pacific Northwest winters.Thanks much.”

  • “Very good! I tweaked mine to my liking…..added some carrots and I left out the cayenne pepper and used minced clams. It was yummy!Also makes a very good potato soup-add carrots and a few more potatoes-omit clams! Hubby loves it!”

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