Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Clams and Purging
- 30 cherrystone or littleneck clams, live, scrubbed
- 2000 ml cold water
- 60 g kosher salt
Broth and Base
- 500 ml water
- 100 g salt pork, diced into 5mm cubes
- 200 g yellow onion, diced
- 100 g celery, diced
- 400 g yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced into 1cm cubes
- 240 ml bottled clam juice
Aromatics and Finish
- 3 g fresh thyme, whole sprigs
- 2 bay leaf
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
- 10 g fresh parsley, finely chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 653 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbohydrates
- 94 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 6 g
- Sodium
- 2078 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 7 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 10 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 3 g
- Cholesterol
- 22 mg
- Potassium
- 1857 mg
- Calcium
- 177 mg
- Iron
- 2.3 mg
- Magnesium
- 92 mg
- Phosphorus
- 258 mg
- Zinc
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin A
- 178 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 34 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.1 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 48 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.8 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.1 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.29 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.08 mg
- Niacin
- 4.0 mg
- Folate
- 38 mcg
- Water
- 660 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Dissolve the kosher salt in 2000ml of cold water in a large mixing bowl. Submerge the live clams and let them sit for 30 minutes to purge any internal sand and grit. Discard any clams with cracked shells or that refuse to close when tapped.
Drain the purged clams and transfer them to a large pot with 500ml of fresh water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, steaming until the shells open wide.
Remove the clams from the pot using a slotted spoon and let cool slightly. Carefully strain the steaming liquid through a fine mesh sieve lined with cheesecloth or a coffee filter into a clean bowl. This liquid is your pure clam broth.
Remove the clam meat from the shells, discarding the shells. Roughly chop the clam meat into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
In a clean heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, cook the diced salt pork over medium heat until the fat renders out and the pork cubes become crispy and golden brown.
Add the diced yellow onion and celery to the rendered pork fat. Sauté until the vegetables soften and the onions become translucent.
Pour the reserved strained clam broth, bottled clam juice, potatoes, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into the pot. Bring to a gentle simmer (around 85°C/185°F) and cook until the potatoes are completely tender.
Remove the pot from the heat. Discard the thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Stir in the chopped clam meat, black pepper, and fresh parsley. Cover and let rest for 2 minutes to warm the clams through without boiling them.
Chef's Notes
- The clarity of the broth defines this style of chowder. Resist the urge to add flour or thickeners, and always strain your clam liquor meticulously.
- Yukon Gold potatoes are the ideal choice here. Russet potatoes break down and cloud the broth, while waxy red potatoes do not absorb enough of the clam flavor.
- Salt pork provides a distinct, traditional savory backbone without the smoky flavors of bacon, keeping the clam flavor front and center.
- Never add salt to the soup until the final resting phase. The natural brine of the clams and the salt pork usually provide all the seasoning required.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Reheat very gently on the stovetop to prevent the clams from becoming rubbery.
Freezer: 2 months — Potatoes may change texture and become slightly grainy when frozen, but the broth flavor remains excellent.
Troubleshooting
Broth is gritty or sandy.
Cause: Clams were not purged properly or the steaming liquid was not strained through a fine enough filter.
Fix: Let the soup sit undisturbed for 10 minutes so grit settles to the bottom, then carefully ladle out the soup from the top, discarding the bottom layer.
Prevention: Always purge live clams in salted water and strain cooking liquids through a cheesecloth or coffee filter.
Clam meat is tough and rubbery.
Cause: The clams were boiled during the soup simmering phase.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Only add chopped clam meat after the pot has been removed from the heat.
Broth tastes too salty.
Cause: Natural clam juices combined with the salt pork introduced too much sodium.
Fix: Add a splash of water or dice an extra potato and simmer until tender to absorb some salt.
Prevention: Do not add extra salt until the very end, and taste the reserved clam broth before adding it to the pot.
Cultural Context
Originating in South County, Rhode Island, this clear chowder predates the creamy New England and tomato-based Manhattan varieties. It was heavily influenced by early Portuguese fishing communities who sought to showcase the pure, unadulterated essence of the local quahog clams they harvested.
