When Life Gives You Clams, Make Clam Chowder

Winter is here and it's time for warm, savory soups and stews...

Nov 25, 2022

I recently learned of a fellow with a shop at the end of the nearby Balbriggan Harbor who sells fresh seafood directly to the public from the trawlers moving in and out of the narrow port.

It’s a decidedly utilitarian set-up; a shipping container with a refrigerator in the rear. His name is Joe and he’s there at all hours, and if he’s not there—gone for a cup of tea or lunch—you just call his mobile and he’ll be there in a jiffy.

Bob wanted a fresh cod dinner which sounded nice, so I dropped by at around nine on a recent morning to see what was available.

There was plenty of cod, as well as monkfish, hake, and beautiful fresh prawns. I’ve wanted to make a dish with razor clams—ubiquitous to Irish shores—for a while, but, sadly, I’ve learned they are only farmed for international markets. Still, I asked if they were ever available.

Joe said he sees them once in a while, but he didn’t have any at the moment; however he did have giant steamer clams, or geoducks (though they might have been non-native Pacific razor clams. The jury is still out).

Joe just filled a bag, about a kilo, and told me to “give ‘em a try and let me know what you think.” I purchased my cod, grabbed my clams, and set work on the evening’s menu.

I wasn’t prepared to make a clam chowder so I basically threw together a recipe based on a Google search and whatever was in my fridge and pantry.

Ingredients

2.5 to 3-pounds of fresh clams, boiled, shelled, and roughly chopped
2 cups the clam boiling water
2 cups of fresh cream
2 to 3-tablespoons cooking oil (olive or rapeseed)
3 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of corn or potato starch (flour)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1 large carrot diced
1 white or yellow onion diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed or finely minced
8 ounces of diced pancetta (or lean smoky bacon, diced)
2 anchovies
Crushed black pepper
Salt (to taste, see below)
A handful of roughly chopped flat parsley

Let’s get busy.

Once you’ve completed the vegetable prep, this dish comes together quite quickly. You will need three pots, two large—one for boiling the clams, the other for assembling the chowder itself—and one small pot for making the cream-based part of the recipe.

First, rinse the clams and then put them in a deep bowl full of water and cornmeal (if you have it) or a large amount of crushed black pepper. Over the next hour or so the clams will expel a bulk of the sand and sediment from their guts.

Once it looks as if most of the sand is out, rinse and place the clams in the pot of water and bring them to a boil. Allow the clams to boil for at least five minutes, as they will continue to expel sand and other impurities.

Next, remove the clams to a strainer to cool. Skim the impurities and foam from the water you boiled the clams and keep two cups of the broth. Discard the rest.

Once the clams are shelled and cleaned, slice ‘n’ dice the meat into pieces close to the size of your sliced carrots or onion.

Now, let’s work on the veggies.

I always use my Dutch oven for this kind of hearty stew or soup, it gives me the option of finishing a recipe either on the stovetop or in the oven.

Put the vegetable or olive oil in the bottom of the pot, and throw in your pancetta and two anchovies. Pepper to taste. You will want to put this on a medium-low to medium flame.

Being a “man of a certain age”, I try not to use a lot of salt in my cooking; this is one reason I love and use anchovies.

As the pancetta renders down, stir and crush the anchovies into the mixture of oil and fat; it creates a deep umami base for the broth, as well as giving what I feel is the perfect amount of salty seasoning, extracted from both the anchovies and the cured pork.

Once the fat is rendered, the anchovies dissolved, and the pancetta browned and a little crisp, add your carrots and onion, stirring constantly to thoroughly coat with the salty, fatty deliciousness at the bottom of the pot.

Once the veggies are soft and shimmering, add the diced potatoes.

Give them a really good stir to make sure they’re evenly distributed and covered with the combination of rendered fat and vegetable liquor now in the Dutch oven.

Take the two cups of the reserved clam broth and slowly add it to your vegetables.

I’ve had clam and seafood chowders from New England to Hong Kong and can honestly say very few have stuck with me; the issue is the tendency for restaurants to let the chowders simmer slowly all day until the broth has the look and consistency of spackle.

I only add enough of the clam water to barely cover the vegetables. Then, I keep a reserve ready to water down the broth if, after I’ve added the cream mixture, it becomes too thick for my taste.

After you’ve added the liquid, place the lid on the pot, keep the flame at medium heat and let the veggies simmer gently.

Now, let’s prepare the cardiologist’s nightmare part of the meal.

In your smaller pot, create a roux with three large tablespoons of butter, two large tablespoons of cornstarch, and your crushed or finely minced garlic.

I prefer to use corn starch or potato starch over plain flour when making a roux; less grainy and always better results.

It’s important that you cook off the rawness of the garlic in the butter first, while also softening and releasing its flavor. Then, slowly add in the cornstarch, stir and cook until lovely, velvety paste forms.

Grab your pint of cream and slowly, with a whisk, fold it into the roux.

Being in Ireland we are spoiled with incredibly rich butter and sweet, full-fat cream. Just look at this photo below. No lumps, just a rich, savory, silky cream broth.

Why eat it when you can apply it directly to your thighs or love handles?

Once you’re satisfied with the cream broth, check in on the veggies to make sure the potatoes are cooked, firm—al dente even—and, if you feel it’s not salty enough for your taste, season.

To avoid splatter and potential grievous bodily harm, slowly pour the cream broth into the veggies over the back of a wooden spoon or spatula.

Once combined, gently fold the two together with the spoon or spatula as the soup comes up to a mild simmer. Put on the lid and give it ten minutes to simmer and meld.

The final addition is, of course, your chopped clams. Hopefully, you haven’t over-boiled them and they’re firm to the touch but tender and flavorful.

Gently stir the clams into the chowder, put the lid on the pot, and let it simmer for another five minutes.

Serve immediately with crusty bread, croutons, or toast. Honestly, it tastes better the next day.

Enjoy!