FEATURED AD FOR THE FISH SOCIETY. Creamy clam chowder made with meretrix frozen clams, chunky potato and smokey bacon. Served with fresh parsley and pieces of soft sourdough bread for dipping. This delicious clam chowder soup recipe is my favourite way to enjoy clams and has been directly inspired by the clam chowder on Fisherman's Wharf.
Please note that this post contains affiliate links to a product I am recommending on the Fish Society website, which means if you click a link and then go on to purchase a product, I will receive a small percentage – this will not affect the amount you pay. If you do click and buy – Thank you for helping in the continuation of this blog, it really means a lot!! I will only ever link to and promote products that I have tried and tested myself.
Clam Chowder Recipe
There are a handful of recipes that have stayed with me since travelling around the world in 2012. Clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl from Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco is one of these.
Surely, the most luxurious soup there is. Its rich and creamy, and chocker full of potatoes and fresh clams. There are, of course, a couple of other stand out dishes from our travels; mainly, Thai green curry and Thai red curry, and of course not forgetting the incredible Amarone risotto we had for our wedding breakfast starter in Italy. But, none of these were served to us in a freshly baked sourdough bread bowl or made with clams that had been in the sea just a few hours earlier. So clearly, this dish is a winner in many respects.
How many types of Clam chowder are there?
There are two types of clam chowder. The clam chowder we had in San Francisco is known as a New England clam chowder or Boston clam chowder. Typically the New England clam chowder is white, creamy and made with potatoes. The other type is the Manhattan clam chowder which, is red and made with tomatoes - a recipe for another time perhaps.
What is clam chowder made of?
This clam chowder recipe is a mixture of onions, potatoes, bacon, white wine, milk, herbs and cream. The main ingredient is of course clams! I've used white whole-shell meretrix clams, very kindly provided by the lovely people over at The Fish Society.
Who are The Fish Society?
The fish society is an online fish monger, supplying the whole of the UK and beyond, into Europe and even the US. Fish lands in the UK fishing ports and is auctioned on day one and on day two its frozen by The Fish Society, ready to be shipped out to customers. Their products are frozen soon after being caught which, maintains the freshness of the fish and ensures that they can supply the widest possible variety.
Living in a small town, nowhere near to the sea, good quality and wide varieties of fish can be hard to come by. So I absolutely love the idea of a online fish monger delivering quality, frozen fish to my front door. Especially when it means I can get hold of a bag full of clams for under a tenner or even order a bit of lobster if it takes my fancy!!
Clam Chowder Ingredients
To make clam chowder you will need a few basic ingredients:
- 1kg frozen whole shell clams
- Chopped smoked bacon
- Butter
- Onion
- Garlic clove
- Potatoes
- Flour
- White wine
- Semi skimmed milk
- Bay leaves
- Sprigs of fresh thyme
- Cream
- Fresh parsley
- Sourdough bread to serve
How do you make homemade clam chowder?
- If using pre cooked frozen meretrix clams from The Fish Society, remove these from the freezer at least 6 hours before preparing the dish and leave on the side to fully defrost. If using canned clams or fresh clams no preparation is required.
- Pan fry 50g chopped smoked bacon until golden. Remove half of the bacon and set to one side for a topping later on.
![fry bacon until golden]()
- With the remaining bacon still in the pan add 50g butter and melt. Then add 1 chopped onion and 1 clove of minced garlic. Pan fry on medium until soft then add 300g of cubed potatoes and continue to stir fry for another 5 minutes.
![add butter onions and potatoes]()
- Next add 2 tablespoon of plain flour to the onion and potato mix, which will help to thicken the chowder along with the starch from the potatoes. Stir in and then add the wine. Use the wine to deglaze the pan (scrape bits off the bottom). When the wine has reduced by half start to gradually add the milk, whilst continually stirring.
![add white wine and gradually add milk]()
- Once all the milk has been added bring the chowder to the boil then place on the lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
- If using fresh raw clams cook these now until the shells open. Discard any unopened shells. Remove cooked clams from their shells and save a few shells for decoration later.
- If using canned clams or the pre cooked, frozen meretrix clams then theres no need to cook these. Just remove the shells from the defrosted meretrix clams and save a few shells to use as decoration later.
- Once the potatoes are soft add the cooked clams to the chowder. Bring the chowder back to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes to ensure the clams are fully heated through.
![remove cooked clams from their shells and add to the chowder]()
- Take the chowder off the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minute before stirring in the cream. IMPORTANT TIP: don't add the cream whilst the chowder is still on the heat as this will cause the cream to curdle.
![take off heat and stir in the cream]()
- Add any saved shells for decoration and then top with bacon and freshly chopped parsley. Serve with sourdough bread.
![add in shells for decoration then top with bacon and fresh parsley]()
What can I eat with clam chowder?
If you are going to eat anything with clam chowder I highly recommend the traditional sourdough. Either large pieces to dunk or if you're feeling adventurous, hollow out a loaf of sourdough and use this as your bowl. A wonderful tradition created by the Boudin bakery, which can be found at the start of Fisherman's Wharf, San Francisco.
How do you store this recipe?
Once the clam chowder is fully cooled transfer to a sealable container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat transfer to a large pan and slowly heat on the stove. Stir continually and cook until the chowder is just about simmering to prevent the cream from curdling. If you've used fresh or canned clams you can freeze the chowder for up to 3 months. Thoroughly defrost before reheating as above. If using frozen clams you should only refrigerate the chowder - do not freeze.
For more fishy inspiration check out The Fish Society website. Enjoy the chowder! - And if you haven't already, and you happen to be in the area, definitely check out clam chowder at Boudins Bakery in San Fran!
Love creamy chowder? Why not try this creamy Hungarian mushroom soup or this Creamy mushroom pasta.
Other Fish Recipes
- Classic Fish Pie Recipe
- Fish Biryani
- Healthy Fish and Chips
- Frozen salmon traybake
- Italian Sea bass Recipe
- Haddock Risotto
📖 Recipe
Clam Chowder
Ingredients
- 1 kg frozen whole shell clams alternatively use fresh or canned
- 125 g Chopped smoked bacon
- 50 g Butter
- 160 g Onion
- 1 Garlic clove
- 300 g Potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoon Plain flour
- 100 ml White wine
- 200 ml Semi skimmed milk
- 2 Bay leaves
- 3 Sprigs of fresh thyme
- Water - add until happy with consistency
- 100 ml Cream
- 20 g Fresh parsley
- Sourdough bread to serve
Instructions
- If using pre cooked frozen meretrix clams from The Fish Society, remove these from the freezer at least 6 hours before preparing the dish and leave on the side to fully defrost. If using canned clams or fresh clams no preparation is required.
- Pan fry 50g chopped smoked bacon until golden. Remove half of the bacon and set to one side for a topping later on.
![fry bacon until golden]()
- With the remaining bacon still in the pan add 50g butter and melt. Then add 1 chopped onion and 1 clove of minced garlic. Pan fry on medium until soft then add 300g of cubed potatoes and continue to stir fry for another 5 minutes.
![add butter onions and potatoes]()
- Next add 2 tablespoon of plain flour to the onion and potato mix, which will help to thicken the chowder along with the starch from the potatoes. Stir in and then add the wine. Use the wine to deglaze the pan (scrape bits off the bottom). When the wine has reduced by half start to gradually add the milk, whilst continually stirring.
![add white wine and gradually add milk]()
- Once all the milk has gone into the pan, add the bay leaves and sprigs of thyme. Check consistency and add 100-200ml of water if the soup appears too thick.
![add bay and thyme and season]()
- Bring the chowder to the boil then place on the lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked.
- If using fresh raw clams now is the time to get these into boiling water and cook until the shells open. Discard any unopened shells. Remove cooked clams from their shells and save a few shells for decoration later.
- If using canned clams or the pre cooked, frozen meretrix clams then theres no need to cook these. Just remove the shells from the defrosted meretrix clams and save a few shells to use as decoration later.
- Once the potatoes are soft add the cooked clams to the chowder. Check consistency again and add water if required. Bring the chowder back to a simmer and cook for a couple of minutes to ensure the clams are fully heated through.
![remove cooked clams from their shells and add to the chowder]()
- Take the chowder off the heat and allow to cool for a couple of minute before stirring in the cream.
![take off heat and stir in the cream]()
IMPORTANT TIP:
- don't add the cream whilst the chowder is still on the heat as this will cause the cream to curdle.
Serve:
- Add any saved shells for decoration and then top with bacon and freshly chopped parsley. Serve with sourdough bread.
![add in shells for decoration then top with bacon and fresh parsley]()
Recipe tip:
- If you are using frozen, cooked clams and you don't have time to defrost them you can add the frozen clams in their shells directly to the chowder. This of course means that all clams will be in shells when you serve the dish. - And although this looks pretty it makes eating this recipe a little more time consuming. You will also need a bigger pan and the clams should be simmered for longer to ensure they are fully reheated.
Video
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER
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