New England Clam Chowder in Sourdough Bowls
This chowder is rich, creamy, and briny with tender clams, soft potatoes, sweet onion, and smoky bacon in every spoonful. Served in toasted sourdough bowls, it becomes hearty, comforting, and ideal for a classic seafood lunch or supper.
Ingredients
Bread bowls
- 2 (about 160 g each)small sourdough boules
Chowder base
- 80 gthick-cut bacon, diced
- 120 gyellow onion, finely diced
- 80 gcelery stalks, finely diced
- 1 clove (5 g)garlic, minced
- 15 gunsalted butter
- 20 gplain flour
- 250 mlclam juice
- 150 mlwater
- 220 gwaxy potatoes, peeled and diced 1 cm
- 1 tsp (2 g)fresh thyme leaves
- 1bay leaf
- 1/4 tsp, or to tastefine sea salt
- 1/4 tspblack pepper
Clams and cream finish
- 180 gshucked clams, drained
- 180 mlheavy cream
- 1 tbsp (4 g)fresh parsley, finely chopped
- extra, to serveblack pepper
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Cut a lid from each sourdough boule and hollow out the centers, leaving a 1.5-2 cm thick wall so they hold the soup. Set the bread bowls and lids aside.
- 2
Set a medium pot over medium heat and cook the diced bacon for 4-5 minutes until the fat renders and the pieces are lightly crisp. Lift out about 1 tablespoon of bacon for garnish, leaving the rest and about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pot.
- 3
Add the onion and celery to the pot and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often, until softened but not browned. Add the garlic and butter and cook for 30 seconds more, just until fragrant.
- 4
Sprinkle in the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute to make a roux; it should coat the vegetables and lose its raw flour smell without taking on much color.
- 5
Gradually pour in the clam juice and water while stirring to keep the roux smooth. Add the diced potatoes, thyme, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to a steady simmer and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are tender and the broth has started to thicken.
- 6
While the chowder simmers, place the hollowed bread bowls and lids directly on a baking tray and toast for 6-8 minutes until lightly crisp inside. This helps prevent sogginess. Remove and keep warm.
- 7
Lower the heat so the soup is no longer boiling. Stir in the clams and heavy cream, then warm gently for 2-3 minutes until the clams are heated through and the chowder is creamy. Do not boil after adding the clams and cream or the clams can toughen and the dairy may split. Remove the bay leaf and taste for seasoning.
- 8
Ladle the hot chowder into the toasted sourdough bowls. Top with the reserved bacon, parsley, and a little extra black pepper. Serve immediately with the toasted lids alongside.
Nutrition per serving
Notes
- •For a deeper clam flavor, replace the water with additional clam juice if available.
- •If using canned clams, reserve any packing liquid and include it within the clam juice measure.
- •Dice the potatoes small and evenly so they cook within the 30-minute schedule.
- •If the chowder thickens too much before serving, loosen it with a splash of hot water or clam juice.
Background
New England clam chowder is a classic northeastern American soup with roots in coastal communities where clams were abundant and dairy-based chowders became a regional signature. The creamy, flour-thickened style is especially associated with Massachusetts and Maine, and serving it in a bread bowl is a modern diner and seafood-shack presentation.
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