Easy Clam Chowder Recipe
Creamy, hearty Maritimes clam chowder packed with tender clams, smoky bacon, potatoes, and vegetables. Easy homemade recipe that's rich, comforting, and perfect for cold days.
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 stick butter
- 2 chopped yellow onions
- 3 stalks diced celery
- 3 carrots diced
- 3 peeled medium-diced boiling potatoes
- 2 slices of bacon diced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 -8 oz. bottles Bar Harbor Clam Juice
- 1-1/2 cups water
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups milk
- 2 cans Bar Harbor chopped sea clams
Instructions
Base
- Melt 2 tbsp. butter and 1 tbsp. olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed stockpot
- Add onions and bacon and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until translucent
- Add celery, carrots, potatoes, thyme, salt, and pepper
- Sauté for an additional 10 minutes
Broth Preparation
- Add clam juice to the pot
- Bring to a boil
- Simmer uncovered until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes
Roux and Thickening
- In a small pot, melt the remaining 4 tbsp. tablespoons of butter
- Whisk in flour
- Cook over very low heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly
- Whisk in a cup of hot broth
- Pour the mixture back into the cooked vegetables
- Simmer until the broth thickens
- Add milk and clams
- Heat gently for a few minutes to cook the clams
- Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed