New England Clam Chowder

A thick and creamy soup where smoky bacon meets briny clams. Tender potatoes and cream provide a velvety texture that perfectly coats the palate.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 30 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 587
• Protein: 16 g
• Carbs: 54 g
• Fat: 33 g

Ingredients

• 500 g Clam ( shucked and roughly chopped )
• 150 g Smoked lardons ( small batons )
• 400 g Potato ( cut into 1cm cubes )
• 1 piece Onion ( finely minced )
• 2 piece Apium graveolens ( finely diced )
• 40 g Minimum butter sweet
• 30 g Wheat flour
• 400 ml Whole milk
• 200 ml Cream
• 1 piece Thyme ( whole sprig )
• 1 piece Bay leaf
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 250 ml Clam juice

Instructions

1. Sauté the garnish

   In a large pot, brown the bacon until crispy. Add the butter, then the minced onion and celery. Sauté until the vegetables are tender and translucent.

2. Singer and deglaze

   Sprinkle the flour over the fatty vegetables (singer). Cook for 2 minutes while stirring to cook the roux. Gradually pour in the clam juice and milk while whisking to obtain a smooth base. The sauce should start to coat the spoon.

3. Cooking the potatoes

   Add the finely diced potatoes, thyme, and bay leaf. Simmer on low heat. The potatoes are ready when they easily mash under the pressure of a fork.

4. Finalizing and binding

   Stir in the cream and clam meat. Heat without boiling to avoid toughening the shellfish. Adjust seasoning with pepper. The consistency should be rich and creamy.

Chef's tips

• Do not salt before the end: clam juice and bacon are already very salty.
• If the soup is too thin, mash a few potato cubes against the sides to release starch.

Storage

Keep for 48h in the fridge. Reheat gently in a saucepan without boiling to preserve the clams' texture.