New England Clam Chowder with Salt Pork
Submitted by bristolian
New England clam chowder built the old way: littleneck clams steamed in their own broth, salt pork rendered for fat and cracklings, with potatoes, onions and a finish of cream. Smoky, briny, deeply Yankee.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minThis is New England clam chowder the way old-school Yankee cooks made it before canned clams hit the shelves. Live littleneck clams get steamed open, their liquor gets strained through cheesecloth, and that briny broth becomes the soul of the soup. No bottled clam juice can match it.
The salt pork is doing two jobs. Rendered slowly, the fat replaces butter as the base for the roux, which carries a porky depth no other dairy fat delivers. The crisped cracklings get folded back in at the end, scattered through each bowl like tiny salt-cured croutons. Don’t toss them. They’re the recipe’s signature.
Straining the clam broth through coffee filters or doubled cheesecloth is a step you cannot skip. Even well-scrubbed littlenecks release a faint trace of grit when they open, and one sandy spoonful can ruin the whole pot. Take the extra five minutes.
Potatoes go in raw and finish in the broth, which lets them release their starch and naturally thicken the chowder. Adding the cream off the boil at the end keeps it from breaking. New England purists never let cream chowder simmer once the dairy hits.
Pro Tips
- Soak the clams in salted water for 20 minutes before cooking to flush out any remaining sand.
- Use waxy potatoes like Yukon Gold. Russets break down into mush.
- Cook the salt pork slow and low. Rushing it browns the fat and turns the cracklings bitter.
- A splash of dry sherry stirred in at the end deepens the flavor without making it boozy.
Variations
- Substitute thick-cut bacon for salt pork. Slightly different flavor, similar smoky result.
- Add a bay leaf and a sprig of fresh thyme with the potatoes for an herbier broth.
- For a thicker chowder, mash a few of the cooked potato cubes against the side of the pot before adding the cream.
Ingredients
Directions
In a large covered saucepot over med-high heat, heat the water to boiling.
Add the clams and garlic and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, or until the clams have just opened.
Drain the clams, reserving the broth.
Strain the broth through coffee filters or several layers of cheesecloth to remove any traces of grit.
Remove the clams from their shells and chop them finely.
In a large heavy saucepot, cook the salt pork over low heat until the fat is rendered and becomes liquid.
Using a slotted spoon, remove the cracklings and reserve them.
Add the onions to the fat and cook over med-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until softened but not browned.
Stir in the flour and cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the reserved clam broth, the 4½ cup of clam broth and the fish stock, whisking to remove any lumps.
Bring the liquid to a boil, then add the potatoes, reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through.
Stir in the clams, salt pork and the light cream.
Heat the chowder until it is the temperature you prefer.
Serve with oyster crackers.
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