Manhattan Clam Chowder

Name: Manhattan Clam Chowder
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 oz (115 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces; 1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 2 large ribs (120 g) celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 2 medium (150 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice; 3 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, minced; 2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste; ½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine; 28 oz can (794 g) canned crushed tomatoes, with their juices; 2 cups (480 ml) bottled clam juice; 1 cup (240 ml) water; 1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes; 6 sprigs (6 g) fresh thyme sprigs, whole; 1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf; ¼ tsp (½ g) red pepper flakes (optional); 3 cans (6.5 oz each) (552 g) canned chopped clams, drained, juice reserved (about 1 cup/240 ml total); 1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice; ¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped; kosher salt, to taste, start with ½ tsp; black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

A bright, brothy red chowder built on smoky bacon, sweet carrots and celery, tomatoes, and tender potatoes, finished with chopped clams and fresh thyme. No cream, just big savory seafood flavor, and it comes together with pantry staples.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 50 min
Wait: 10 min
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Makes: About 10 cups (2.4 liters), 6 generous bowls

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Ingredients

6 servings

4 oz (115 g) thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces
1 medium (about 7 oz) (200 g) yellow onion, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
2 large ribs (120 g) celery ribs, cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
2 medium (150 g) carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch (6 mm) dice
3 cloves (10 g) garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (32 g) tomato paste
½ cup (120 ml) dry white wine
28 oz can (794 g) canned crushed tomatoes, with their juices
2 cups (480 ml) bottled clam juice
1 cup (240 ml) water
1 lb (450 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch (1.25 cm) cubes
6 sprigs (6 g) fresh thyme sprigs, whole
1 leaf (1 g) bay leaf
¼ tsp (0.5 g) red pepper flakes (optional)
3 cans (6.5 oz each) (552 g) canned chopped clams, drained, juice reserved (about 1 cup/240 ml total)
1 tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
¼ cup (15 g) fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
kosher salt, to taste, start with ½ tsp
black pepper, freshly ground, to taste

Equipment (5)

5- to 6-quart (4.7-5.7 L) heavy-bottomed soup pot or stockpot with lid
Wooden spoon
Chef's knife and cutting board
Colander or fine-mesh strainer with a bowl to catch the clam juice
Ladle

Steps

Before you start

Open the canned clams and drain them over a bowl. Keep both the clams and the juice, because you need both.
Cut all the vegetables to the sizes listed so they cook at the same pace. The potatoes should be about ½ inch (1.25 cm).
Don't add salt until the end. Bacon, canned clams, and bottled clam juice are all salty.
Plan on 80 minutes in total, including a 10-minute rest that deepens the flavor. This recipe is made entirely on the stovetop; no oven is needed.

1
Prep the ingredients
- Drain the 3 cans of clams through a strainer set over a bowl, pressing lightly.
- Set the clams aside and keep the juice (about 1 cup/240 ml).
- Dice the onion, celery, and carrots into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces, mince the garlic, cube the potatoes into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces, and cut the bacon crosswise into ¼-inch pieces.
- Keep the potatoes in a bowl of cold water until needed, then drain them.
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Ready when: All vegetables are in even, small pieces and the clams and juice are separated.
Tip: Uniform cuts matter here. Larger potato cubes will still be firm when the smaller vegetables are soft.
2
Render the bacon
- Put the bacon in the cold soup pot and set it over medium heat.
- Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until the fat has melted out and the bacon is browned and crisp at the edges.
- Leave the bacon and about 2 tablespoons of fat in the pot.
- If there is much more, spoon off the extra.
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Ready when: Bacon pieces are golden brown and crisp, with a shimmering layer of fat in the pot.
Tip: Starting in a cold pot renders the fat gently, so the bacon browns without burning.
3
Soften the vegetables
- Add the onion, celery, and carrots to the bacon and fat, along with the red pepper flakes if using.
- Cook over medium heat, stirring every minute or so, for 7 to 8 minutes, until the onion is translucent and the carrots have started to soften.
- Don't let the vegetables brown.
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Ready when: Onion is translucent and soft, and the pot smells sweet and savory.
Tip: If the pot looks dry or the vegetables begin to stick, lower the heat slightly and add a splash of water.
4
Toast garlic and paste
- Stir in the garlic and tomato paste.
- Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the paste darkens from bright red to a deeper brick color and smells rich and sweet.
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Ready when: Tomato paste has darkened to brick red and coats the vegetables.
Tip: Garlic burns quickly. If you see dark brown specks, add the wine right away.
5
Deglaze with wine
- Raise the heat to medium-high and pour in the white wine.
- Scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
- Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the wine has reduced by about half and the sharp alcohol smell has faded.
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Ready when: The liquid has reduced by about half and the bottom of the pot is clean.
6
Simmer the base
- Add the crushed tomatoes, bottled clam juice, the reserved juice from the canned clams, water, drained potatoes, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf.
- Stir, cover partially, and bring to a boil over high heat.
- Lower the heat to low so the surface barely bubbles, and simmer partially covered for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the broth has a rounded tomato flavor.
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Ready when: A potato cube slides off a fork or knife tip with no resistance but still holds its shape.
Tip: Keep the clam meat out for now. Only the juice goes in at this stage. Long simmering turns clams rubbery.
7
Warm the clams
- Stir in the drained clams and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, just until they are heated through.
- Do not let the chowder boil hard.
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Ready when: Chowder is steaming hot throughout with only small bubbles at the edges.
Tip: Boiling after the clams go in makes them tough and chewy.
8
Season to taste
- Remove the pot from the heat.
- Fish out the thyme stems (the leaves will have fallen off) and the bay leaf.
- Stir in the lemon juice and about ½ teaspoon salt, plus several grinds of black pepper.
- Taste and add more salt in small pinches until the tomato and clam flavors taste bright, not flat.
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Ready when: The broth tastes balanced: savory, lightly sweet, and gently tangy.
Tip: Taste before salting. Bottled clam juice and bacon can already make the broth quite salty.
9
Rest the chowder
- Cover the pot and let the chowder rest off the heat for 10 minutes so the flavors settle together and it cools to a comfortable eating temperature.
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Ready when: Chowder is still hot but no longer bubbling or steaming furiously.
10
Serve with parsley
- Ladle the chowder into warmed bowls, making sure each gets plenty of clams, potatoes, and vegetables.
- Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and a crack of black pepper, and serve with oyster crackers or crusty bread if you like.

Good to know

Tips

Add the clams at the very end. Only gentle warming keeps them tender.
Yukon Gold or other waxy potatoes hold their shape. Russets break down and cloud the broth.
Taste and adjust salt only after the clams and lemon juice go in, since the canned clams and juice vary in saltiness.
The chowder tastes even better the next day. Reheat it gently and don't let it boil.

Make ahead

Make the chowder through step 6 up to 2 days ahead, cool, and refrigerate. Reheat gently until simmering, then add the clams and finish with steps 7 to 10 so the clams stay tender.

Storage & reheating

Cool completely within 2 hours. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Freeze for up to 2 months, though potatoes soften a bit after thawing. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat in a pot over low heat, stirring occasionally, until steaming hot (165°F/74°C). Don't boil.

Substitutions

canned chopped clams → About 3 lb (1.4 kg) fresh littleneck or cherrystone clams. Steam them in the wine and 1 cup water, covered, until opened (5 to 8 minutes), discard any that stay closed, strain the liquid through a fine strainer, chop the meat, and use the strained liquid in place of the canned clam juice.
thick-cut bacon → 2 tbsp olive oil. Skip the bacon for a pescatarian version. Add ½ tsp smoked paprika with the garlic for a touch of smokiness.
dry white wine → Additional clam juice plus 1 tbsp white wine vinegar. Use ½ cup (120 ml) clam juice and add the vinegar to the pot at the same stage.
Yukon Gold potatoes → Red-skinned waxy potatoes. Use the same weight, cut the same size. They hold their shape well and need no peeling.