The best white clam chowder! Enter it in a contest.
Fresh clams, a roux, and Old Bay are the secret to this rich and flavorful white clam chowder. The bacon and lemon juice really knock it out of the park.
To roux or not to roux? Wild Woman says roux or don’t add flour at all because your chowder will taste like flour.
EQUIPMENT: Instant Pot, whisk, chef’s knife, cutting board
New England Clam Chowder
Cuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium4
servings15
minutes20
minutesThe best white clam chowder! Enter it in a contest.
Ingredients
- Roux*
4 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces
6 tablespoons organic unsalted butter
8 tablespoons all purpose flour
- Chowder
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 cup finely chopped celery stalks
1 tablespoon chopped garlic from a jar
2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 bottles clam juice, 8 oz.
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Old Bay
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
3 lbs hardshell clams, scrubbed (see note)
1/2 lb. chopped fresh clams or canned clams with their juice
sea salt
freshly ground black peppercorns
1 Meyer lemon
chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
garlic bread made with fresh garlic, for serving
Directions
- Bacon
- Press sauté the Instant Pot. Select Hi. Place bacon pieces in pot.
- Let cook until browned on the bottom. Turn pieces over and brown on the other side until desired crispiness.
- Transfer bacon to a plate and set aside.
- Roux
- Add butter to the pot. When it has melted add four tablespoons of the flour and whisk together. Add another tablespoon of flour and whisk. Add the remaining flour and whisk. You want the roux color to stay white.
- Chowder
- Add the onion and celery to the pot and sauté until tender. Add garlic and potatoes. Cook 1 minute longer.
- Stir in clam juice, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, thyme, and bay leaf. Attach pressure cooker lid and pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. Release pressure using the quick release method.
- Select sauté and Lo on the Instant Pot.
- Stir in milk. Add cream until you reach desired consistency.
- Add hard shell clams. Heat through (do not boil).
- When hard shell clams have opened, stir in clam meat. Discard any hard shell clams that did not open.
- Taste and correct seasoning.
- Ladle the soup into bowls dividing the hard shell clams evenly.
- Squeeze a generous amount of lemon juice and grind some black peppercorns over each bowl.
- Crumble the cooked bacon; sprinkle over each bowl. Garnish with chopped parsley.
- Serve immediately with homemade fresh garlic bread.
Notes
- *A proper roux is equal parts by weight. If you don’t have a scale use the ratio in the ingredients list.
