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Chef Nicholas Vogel's New England Clam Chowder

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Soup
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 lb pancetta cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup onion finely chopped (about 1 medium onion)
  • 1 cup celery finely chopped (about 2 celery ribs)
  • 3 sprigs thyme leaves removed from stems
  • 1 cup clam juice or water (clam juice is best!)
  • 2 1/2 lbs live quahogs scrubbed
  • 1 quart whole milk
  • 1 1/2 lbs russet or Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • oyster crackers for serving

Method
 

  1. Combine pancetta and 1/4 cup water in a heavy-bottomed stock pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until water has evaporated and pork has begun to crisp in spots, about 8 minutes. Remove pork with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper-towel lined plate. Set aside.
  2. Add butter, onion, celery and thyme into the pot. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened but not browned, about 4 minutes. Add clam juice or water and stir to combine.
  3. Add clams and increase heat to high. Cover and cook, opening lid to stir occasionally, until clams begin to open, about 3 minutes. As clams open, remove them with tongs and transfer to a large bowl, keeping as many juices in the pot as possible and keeping the lid shut as much as possible. After 8 minutes, discard any clams that have not yet begun to open.
  4. Add milk, potatoes, bay leaves and a pinch of salt and pepper to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and starting to break down, about 15 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, remove the meat from inside the clams and roughly chop it. Discard the empty shells. Transfer chopped clams and as much juice as possible to a fine-mesh strainer set over a large bowl. Let the clams drain, then transfer the chopped clams to a separate bowl. Set both bowls aside.
  6. Once the potatoes are tender, pour the entire mixture through the fine-mesh strainer into the bowl with the clam juice, tapping the strainer with the back of a knife or a spoon to get the liquid to pass through. You should end up with a white, semi-broken broth. Transfer strained solids to the bowl with the chopped clams; add in the pancetta.
  7. Transfer the liquid to a blender and blend on high speed until smooth and emulsified, about 2 minutes. Return both the liquid and the solids back to the pot. Add heavy cream and stir to combine. Reheat until simmering. Season well with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with oyster crackers.
NOTE
  1. For best results, use live clams. If live clams are unavailable, skip steps 2 and 4. In step 6, add 1 pound chopped canned or frozen clams to chowder before heating through to serve.