New England No-Clam Chowder

5 from 1 vote. Tap stars to vote

My New England No-Clam Chowder has the savory, milky broth of the traditional dish, and the tender bites of potato, too; just no clams. My family loves this chowder for casual summer meals—don't forget the oyster crackers!

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Curing/Resting Time1

Total Time1 40

Course: Comfort Food, Dinner, Fall Dish, Lunch, Side Dish, Soup, Summer Side Dish, Winter Dishes

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 397kcal

Author: Nancy Mock

Ingredients

4 strips bacon, diced
1 cup diced onion (from about 1 medium onion)
¼ cup diced celery
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
4 cups diced white or yellow potatoes (about 1½ pounds whole potatoes)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
1½ teaspoon salt, divided
¾ teaspoon white pepper, divided
water to cover the potatoes
2 cups whole milk
2 cups evaporated milk
1 teaspoon soy sauce
¼ teaspoon smoked paprika

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook the bacon and aromatics:

Add the 4 strips bacon, diced to a large Dutch oven or soup pot set over medium-high heat. Cook and stir the bacon until it's browned and crisp.
Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon from the pot; hold the bacon aside.
Add the 1 cup diced onion and ¼ cup diced celery to the bacon fat in the pot. Stir and sauté the vegetables for about five minutes, until they're softened. Stir in the 1 clove garlic, minced and sauté the mixture for one minute longer.

Cook the potatoes:

Stir 2 tablespoons butter into the pot. Once it's melted, add the 4 cups diced white or yellow potatoes, ¼ cup all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and ½ teaspoon of the white pepper to the pot; stir until the potatoes are coated with the flour and spices.
Add just enough water to cover the potatoes in the pot.
Increase the heat to bring the water to a simmer. Then, reduce the heat to medium and cover the pot. Cook the potatoes for about 10 minutes until they're tender when pierced with a fork.

Meanwhile, warm up the milks:

While the potatoes cook, pour 2 cups whole milk and 2 cups evaporated milk into a medium saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat.
Warm up the milks, stirring often to prevent them from burning on the bottom. Once the milks are hot, remove the pan from the burner. (The mixture should be hot, but not boiling.)

Finish the chowder:

Remove the lid from the pot once the potatoes are done.
Slowly whisk the hot milk mixture into the pot with the potatoes. Stir in 1 teaspoon soy sauce, ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika, the remaining salt, and the remaining white pepper.

Let it "cure":

Move the chowder off the heat, cover the pot and let the chowder rest, or cure, for at least 30 minutes or for as long as an hour.
(Resting or curing the chowder gives the flavors a chance to meld and let's the broth thicken a bit more.)

Serve:

Ladle the no-clam chowder into soup crocks or bowls. Add a dash of salt and black pepper to season to taste. Serve plenty of oyster crackers with the chowder, too! They can be crushed into the chowder to thicken it, or just sprinkled over the top.
Other toppings and things to enjoy with No-Clam Chowder are chopped fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, or sage, saltine crackers, slices of buttered sourdough bread, or scallion biscuits.

To add clams to the chowder:

The easiest way to add clams to this chowder is by using inexpensive canned clams. They need only a very brief heat-through; don't overcook them or they will turn tough and rubbery. Add them to the chowder at the same time in the recipe as the hot milks, then let them rest and warm up in the chowder during the curing step.
Fresh clams should also only be cooked a short time. Clean and chop them, and add them to the pot along with the hot milks. Simmer the chowder over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, then move the pan off the heat and let the chowder cure.
Here is a guide from Serious Eats on the different types of fresh clams; use this to find the best variety to add to your chowder.

Notes

Resting or curing is a traditional step in making New England chowder, one that gives the flavors in the pot a chance to meld. It also let's the broth thicken a bit more before serving.

Nutrition