New England Clam Chowder with Bacon
A potato-thick, cream-based chowder built on rendered bacon fat, with the clams stirred in last so they never turn to rubber.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Written
Method
-
Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp and the fat has rendered, about 6 minutes, then transfer it to a paper towel and leave the fat behind.
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Add the onion and celery to the fat and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
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Stir in the butter until melted, then the flour, and cook, stirring, until it smells toasty, about 1 minute.
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Whisk in the bottled clam juice and the reserved juice from the clams, scraping up any browned bits, until smooth.
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Add the potatoes and bay leaves, bring to a simmer, and cook until the potatoes are just tender when pierced, 12 to 15 minutes.
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Stir in the milk and cream and warm through gently, without letting it boil.
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Add the clams and cook just until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
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Discard the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, and ladle into bowls topped with the crisped bacon.
Notes
Canned chopped clams are not a compromise here — they’re what most New England kitchens actually reach for, and their juice is doing real work in the base alongside the bottled stuff. Don’t let the chowder boil once the cream goes in, or it’ll break.
Leftovers thicken hard in the fridge; thin with a splash of milk when reheating, and reheat gently for the same reason you didn’t boil it the first time.